


Shambahla

by IonaWestray



Series: Gargoyles: Ramble On [6]
Category: Gargoyles (Cartoon)
Genre: F/M, Interspecies Relationship(s), Interspecies Sex, Memory Loss, attempted non-con
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-03
Updated: 2020-12-03
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:15:04
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 31,008
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27863670
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IonaWestray/pseuds/IonaWestray
Summary: During the Avalon World Tour, Goliath, Elisa, Angela, and Bronx arrive in the valley of Shambahla, and the events there would change their lives...if they could only remember them.
Relationships: Goliath/Elisa Maza, Original Female Character/Original Male Character
Series: Gargoyles: Ramble On [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1901287
Comments: 38
Kudos: 39





	1. Prologue

**May 20, 1997**

Elisa stared at her closet full of casual clothing and dreaded the fact that she had nothing to wear to her brother's wedding, which meant that she would have to shop for a dress. Although she was a t-shirt and jeans kind of gal, she didn’t mind getting dressed up, it was just that the last time she’d bought a new dress for a special occasion, it had been utterly destroyed, and she didn't feel like that was the kind of karma she wanted to perpetuate. 

Derek and Maggie had suggested they postpone their wedding, due to the recent upheaval in their family regarding the discovery that Carmen Maza, Peter’s mother, had been murdered by her brother-in-law, Joseph, but Peter and Diane had insisted they continue with their plans.

Elisa dug further into her closet and stumbled upon a few items she had forgotten about. One was a light cotton kimono from Japan, and the other was a beautiful silk chuba dress from what was likely Tibet. She hadn’t known the origin of the dress at first, but after some research that’s what she settled on.

It was a beautiful sapphire blue silk wrap dress with cream colored sleeves and some kind of pattern that looked like golden medallions. She had no idea how she had obtained it though, and as far as she knew, she had never worn it.

She pulled it out of her closet and held it in her hands, feeling the buttery fabric with her fingers, and willing herself to remember how it came to be amongst her possessions.

She hadn’t noticed she had it until she got back home to Manhattan and unpacked the small backpack she kept on the skiff to carry essentials: a first aid kit, a change of clothes, toiletries, feminine supplies, as well as the kimono she was gifted in Japan…and this dress.

She untied the sash at the front and as she opened the dress to try it on, she noticed embroidery on the inside that looked like sanskrit or some form of Chinese, but she didn't think it was either. She ran her fingers over it. Someone had gone to the trouble of hand stitching writing on the inside.

She set that puzzle aside for the time being and slipped into the dress, retying the side ties and the sash.

It fit her like it had been tailored exactly to her body.

But she had no idea how she acquired it.

Maybe the writing on the inside offered a clue?

She decided to swing by the castle before her shift to see if Angela could interpret it. She had a knack for languages. Whatever magic that temporarily allowed them to understand different languages around the world during their Avalon World Tour had worn off on her and Goliath, but Angela still retained that ability. If she left now, she might catch her before she left on patrol for the night.

She hesitated about her decision momentarily. She worried about running into Goliath, who she hadn’t seen in several days. She blamed the longer days and shorter nights for their mixed connections, but truthfully...she was avoiding him.

She didn’t know yet how to handle what happened to Cagney. There were so many implications about what happened, that her mind spun every time she thought about it.

She couldn’t avoid him forever, though. They were mates, and she had to confront the situation before it caused irreparable harm to their relationship.

She swung by the castle and found Broadway in the kitchen kneading a ball of what looked like pizza dough, but no one else was around.

“Hey, Broadway. I’m looking for your other half, do you know where I could find her?" Elisa asked.

Broadway paused as though she had caught his hand in the cookie jar.

"Hey, Elisa…uh…she's…out," he hedged.

"Okay," she replied, thrown off by his caginess. “Do you know if Coldfire and Coldstone are around then? I need someone who can translate something for me.”

“Last I saw them, they were on the battlements talking with Goliath.”

“Thanks, Broadway,” Elisa said gratefully.

She turned to leave the kitchen and ran right into Brooklyn who was coming through the door at the same time.

She dropped her bundle in her effort not to collide with him.

“Woah! Elisa! Sorry!” Brooklyn said as he reached out and steadied her before he knocked her down.

Katana walked in behind him with Nashville. She noticed the bundle on the ground and picked it up.

"Sugoi! What a beautiful dress, Elisa," she said appreciatively as she held up the silk garment. 

"Thanks. It was something I acquired at some point while Avalon was giving us the go around, but I don't remember at all how I came to possess it."

"Curious…" Brooklyn said, and he peered at the design. "Wait…the pattern on the dress...I’ve seen those mandalas before." 

"Mandalas?" Elisa asked.

"A mandala is a design with significance in several eastern civilizations who practice Buddhism. This one," Brooklyn tapped the design with a talon, "is unique to Shambahla."

"Shambahla?” Elisa said, her interest piqued. “You know, Goliath mentioned something about Shambahla once. It was when Demona cast that spell and magic no longer affected him. He told Angela something important had happened there, but he wouldn't tell her what, and then when he could speak English again, he couldn't remember."

Brooklyn looked pensively at her.

"You’ve clearly been to Shambahla," he said.

"Then why don't I remember it?" Elisa said frustratedly.

"Because what happens in Shambahla, stays in Shambahla. It's like Vegas on steroids," Brooklyn explained wryly, and there was a touch of acidity in his voice, like he and the place had personal history.

Elisa furrowed her brow.

"Hey, there’s writing on the inside!” Nashville piped up.

“Yeah, I was hoping Angela could translate it,” Elisa replied.

“No need. I can read it,” Brooklyn said as he looked over the embroidery. His brow furrowed and then lifted in surprise.

“What does it say?” Elisa asked, barely able to contain her curiosity.

"Elisa...you’re gonna want to sit down,” he said.

“Why?” she asked anxiously, but she took a seat in a chair anyway.

Brooklyn spoke to her calmly. What he was about to say, wouldn’t be easy to hear.

“Because if this writing is correct...this is your wedding dress.”


	2. Arrival

**June 19th, 1996**

Elisa was awakened by the cheerful cacophony of birdsong.

She groaned as she opened her eyes. She felt hungover and the light hurt, even though it was the soft golden light of sunset. She ached from head to toe, especially her back and neck, like she had been sleeping for hours in a confined space. She slowly sat up, wincing as she got stiff muscles to respond again and took stock of her situation. She was aboard the skiff, and she’d been sleeping in the narrow space between two of the benches.

"God, my head," she groaned. What the fuck happened? The last thing she remembered was–

Coldstone.

She gasped as the memory hit her, and she looked around the boat. One, two, three stone forms: Goliath, Angela, and Bronx. She breathed a sigh of relief. If they were stone, then they had still been alive when the sun came up.

Had she been out the whole day?

The skiff had moored on the shore of a large lake. She got out and stretched her sore back and aching limbs. It was pleasantly warm here, unlike where they had been before, high up in the Himalayas.

So, where were they now? What had happened after Coldstone, or rather his evil brother, attacked them? Where were Master Dawa and Sangpo? Had Coldstone turned on them, too? How did they get back on the skiff?

She looked around cautiously. The large lake had a pebbly beach that turned immediately into thick vegetation after just a few yards. There were large, flowering trees everywhere whose petals danced lightly in the breeze leaving the air beautifully fragrant. The understory was thick with ferns and bushes covered with some type of oblong, shiny red berry. In the distance she could see tall, craggy, snow covered mountains that formed a crown around the entire area.

She had no idea where they were or how they had gotten there, but the sun was starting to set, and she turned back to witness her friends awakening for the night.

There was a low roar and a shrill cry as well as the growl and bark from Bronx as the three gargoyles cast off their stone skin. There was a moment of confusion as they woke up prostrate on the boat, and Goliath nearly tipped the whole thing over before he braced himself with one hand on the rocky shore.

“Elisa. You’re alright!” he said relieved as he righted himself and stepped out of the skiff and stood next to her. Last thing he remembered, Coldstone had his talons around her neck, and he was about to snap it.

“I’m ok,” she replied as she gingerly touched her neck, and he frowned at the light bruises that marred her skin.

“We’re all still together, and alive. How?” Angela asked.

“That is a very good question. I woke up on the boat just a few minutes before you guys did,” Elisa replied.

“Strange,” Goliath rumbled. “Any idea where we are?”

Elisa shrugged.

“Could be anywhere in the northern hemisphere based on the season, unless we were Rip Van Winkled, and we’ve been out a hell of a lot longer than I thought,” Elisa joked.

“None of the vegetation looks familiar…but it doesn’t look strange, either." Goliath mused.

“It’s warm,” Angela sighed pleasantly.

“Yeah, thank god,” Elisa laughed.

“Perhaps we should–”

Whatever Goliath was about to say was cut off by the sound of a woman’s loud gasp.

The four of them turned rapidly towards the sound to find a woman staring at them from a stand of trees. She was carrying a basket and appeared to have been picking the strange red berries from the bushes near the shoreline. She was slight and slender with long graying hair that had obviously once been jet black, and her face had the lines of a woman who had spent a life with laughter and joy. She looked Tibetan like Sangpo and Master Dawa which made Elisa wonder if they were still near the monastery but it was warm here, and the monastery was so high up in elevation that it was still under snow. 

The woman stared at them, her mouth agape.

Elisa stepped forward and held up her hands in a non threatening manner.

“Hi,” she said awkwardly. “We’re...a little lost. Could you tell me where we are?”

“Gargoyles!” the woman said excitedly as her shock suddenly wore off. “We haven’t had other gargoyles in Shambahla in hundreds of years!”

Goliath, Elisa, and Angela exchanged a quick look before Goliath stepped forward.

“You know of my kind?” he asked at the same time Elisa said, “Shambahla?”

“Oh, yes!” the woman replied with a broad smile.

Goliath looked back towards Elisa and Angela.

“Don’t go anywhere! I’ll be right back!” the woman said, and she disappeared back into the forest.

“That was an odd reaction,” Elisa said as Goliath stared apprehensively after the woman.

“Definitely odd,” Goliath said perplexed. “Her recognition makes me think there must be other gargoyles here.”

“Should we follow her?” Angela asked.

“She asked us to stay, but I would wager we won’t be alone for long. We should stay near the skiff just in case we need to leave quickly,” Goliath replied.

He was right. In a few short minutes, the shore of the lake was completely surrounded.

And not by humans.

About a dozen gargoyles appeared through the trees and approached the beach. It seemed to Elisa that each gargoyle clan they encountered had very different appearances. Some things were largely universal: wings, tail, talons, and digitigrade legs. These gargoyles had all of the standard features, but their wings were beautifully feathered, much like the London clan, and they had slender tufted tails. They all lacked hair, but they had feathered crowns that went down their necks and blended into their wings. They were perhaps on the slight side for gargoyles, but still tall and in addition to their feathers, there was something rather bird-like about them. They all had humanoid faces except that they had broad nasal bridges that made their noses appear flat. They all ranged in warm golden tones from nearly white to a blazing ember.

Standing with the group was a gargoyle beast who watched them warily. Its face reminded Elisa of chinese dragons she’d seen in chinatown, but it was snow white with a turquoise green mane, forelocks, and tufted tail.

They were incredibly striking and beautiful, and Elisa let out a not so quiet, “Wow,” in response to their sudden appearance.

The woman who had first greeted them stood comfortably with the gargoyles, as if she was meant to be with them just as much as any of the rest of them. Much like Elisa did within the Manhattan clan.

“We come peacefully,” Goliath said as he held his hands up again.

“We don’t often have visitors to our valley, and we have not seen other gargoyles for many years,” a female gargoyle said. She had cream colored skin and soft, buttery gold colored feathers. She was leanly muscled, but curvier than a lot of female gargoyles Elisa had seen, reminding her of a lot of mid-century pinup girls. Compared to her, Elisa felt almost boyish, her own physique was leaner, and many would consider her figure athletic rather than voluptuous. She wore a teal, sleeveless tunic with a high neck, and high slits at the thighs to allow ease of movement. The other females were dressed in similar tunics, some with sleeves and some without, and in varying colors. The males wore simple loincloths, tied with a sash about their waists, and some also wore loose fitting tunics. A few wore saffron yellow robes similar to the kasaya robes worn by Buddhist monks.

The female who had addressed them stepped forward and pressed her palms together before she bowed to them.

“My name is Tsering, I am second in command of the Shambahla clan,” she said.

Goliath returned the gesture.

“I am Goliath. Leader of the Manhattan clan,” he said formally.

“Manhattan? As in New York?” she said puzzled. “That is certainly a long way from here.”

“It’s a long story,” Goliath replied.

“I am eager to hear it, if you would be willing to tell us, and any other news you may bring of the world. Like I said, we do not get visitors much," Tsering replied ruefully.

“I would love to learn more about your clan...and where we are exactly,” Goliath said.

“Why don’t you join us back in the village? We can share a meal and talk more.”

Goliath looked back at Elisa who nodded and smiled encouragingly at him.

“We appreciate the hospitality,” Goliath replied.

The gargoyles turned and began to walk back through the trees, and the four travelers joined them. They emerged onto a well traveled footpath. Goliath walked in step with Tsering and Elisa and Angela walked behind. Bronx bounded behind the other beast once they had sniffed each other over eagerly.

The human woman moved in line next to Elisa.

“I am sorry I failed to introduce myself to you earlier, I was too excited,” she said warmly. “My name is Pema.”

“I will admit we are just as excited to see you and the others, Pema. My name is Elisa, and this is Angela,” Elisa said, indicating the young female gargoyle. "The beast is Bronx."

“It is a pleasure to meet all of you,” Pema said warmly.

“Are there other humans in the village?” Angela asked, thinking of Japan.

“No, I am the only one.”

“I would love to hear more about how you came to live among them,” Elisa said smiling. “Especially if it’s anything like my own story.”

“I am eager to speak with another woman, it has been many years,” Pema replied, her smile broad enough it nearly split her face.

As they walked and talked, Elisa tripped on an uneven part of the footpath and stumbled, but before she could fall, Goliath reached out and caught her arm, and he helped to right her trajectory. Instead of letting go immediately after, he slid his hand to the small of her back and kept it there to help keep her steady in the dark.

She glanced obliquely at him as he fell back and walked beside her. He looked straight ahead, following Tsering, not outwardly acknowledging that his hand still remained, touching her.

She felt a thrill at his gentle touch, the weight of his hand resting there lightly, familiarly. She had feelings for Goliath that were difficult to articulate, and his constant proximity over the last few months had only distilled those feelings into something deeper and more intense. She wasn't sure if she was imagining it or not, but it seemed like he was finding more and more excuses to casually touch her, too.

There had been times on their journey when it seemed Goliath was about to breach the unspoken agreement they had about not discussing their feelings, and to be fair, there were a few times she nearly did as well, but they were always interrupted, either by Angela or other circumstances, and she wasn’t sure if it made her feel relieved or infuriated when it happened. Her feelings for Goliath were confusing and painful as they had no hope of any kind of life together. It was best just to leave that genie in the bottle.

It was easier that way.

For the best, really.

Or so she kept telling herself.

But she was still secretly pleased that he kept his hand on her back.

Pema noticed the way Goliath reached out to keep Elisa from falling...and then didn’t let go afterwards, and though she raised a brow speculatively, she said nothing. 

They soon emerged through the trees to a clearing about a mile wide, wherein a small village resided. At its center rose a large monastery that glimmered in crimson and gold. It was surrounded by a series of smaller earthen buildings. Lanterns glowed throughout, keeping it warm and inviting, and brightly lit. Gargoyles roamed freely about engaging in typical tasks you would see in any small town.

Tsering led them to a group of hatchlings who were being addressed by a male gargoyle. He was crouched down, distributing some kind of sweet to the children who were around the age of 8 or 9 in human years. They clambered excitedly around him, and Elisa couldn't help but think of how absolutely adorable gargoyle children were with their stubby tails and chubby wings, though this group was on the cusp of adolescents, and they were starting to lengthen and lean out from their childhood chub.

When the male gargoyle noticed their presence he stood up and looked at them with surprise and awe. He was tall and leanly muscled, like most of the other gargoyles of this clan. None of them were quite as heavily built as Goliath was, though to be fair, not many were. He looked like he was in the early part of his middle years, but it was hard to tell with gargoyles sometimes. A few of his feathers had turned, peppering his crimson plumage with white. His skin was pumpkin orange, and his face lit up in a broad smile at the sight of them, a few lines appearing around his eyes and mouth when he did.

“Pema! You told me you were off to pick goji berries at the lake, and instead you bring back visitors?” he said amused.

Pema left the group and walked towards the gargoyle.

“It’s been an interesting evening,” she said as she smiled up at him.

The male gargoyle approached them, then he bowed to them deeply, the way Tsering had earlier.

“Welcome to Shambahla,” he said in a deep pleasant voice. “I am Tenzin, the leader of my clan.”

By now they had attracted a crowd that was beginning to gather around them, and Elisa began to realize just how large it was.

It was enormous. Larger than even the Ishumura clan.

“I am Goliath, leader of the Manhattan clan,” Goliath replied with a bow, then he introduced everyone with him. “This is Angela, Elisa, and our beast, Bronx.”

“It is a great pleasure to meet you all,” he said, and his words sounded genuine. “You say you are from Manhattan? In New York?”

“Yes, though my clan is not from there originally. What was left of my clan was...transplanted.”

Tenzin eyed him thoughtfully.

“I can see that,” he mused. “You don’t look like any of the descriptions we received of the clans that once existed in North America, and they are long gone as far as we know. If I were to guess...I’d say you look Scottish to me, but of the highlands and lowlands...not the lochs.”

“We ran into a clan in London who said the same thing,” Goliath said stunned. “How did you know?”

“We here in Shambahla have kept record of the gargoyle clans around the world since the time written language was invented. We thought all of the highland gargoyles had died off. I am glad to see you haven’t. Tell me, is your clan a large one?”

“No, only a handful of us remain,” Goliath replied remorsefully.

“A pity. Do you know of anything of the other Scottish clans?”

“All long gone, as far as I know, but...I have encountered clans in Japan and Guatemala, in addition to London.”

“You must tell me what you know, if you are willing. For our records. We haven’t heard from any other clans in a very long time. We had begun to fear that we were the last of our kind.”

“Not the last, I am pleased to say,” Goliath said warmly.

“You must be weary from your travels. Come, share a meal with me and my mate. Normally we eat communally, but I would like a chance to talk with you before you integrate with the others.”

Pema stepped forward.

“Please follow me,” she said with a bright, warm smile.

The human woman led them away from the curious eyes of the clan and to the monastery.

Inside there were more of the gargoyles, both male and female, dressed like monks in saffron colored robes. They watched as they passed curiously, stopping whatever task they were in the middle of.

Tenzin spoke to one of the monks, a young male, who nodded and ran off. Then they continued to follow Tenzin until they arrived at a room with a simple wooden door. Tenzin ushered them in. The room was just as simple as it appeared from the outside with a wooden desk, and a table with a few stools and a single window. A few moments later the monk who had scurried off earlier came back with a few extra stools. He was a pale yellow with orange feathers who caught Angela's eye. She peered at him appreciatively, and he looked curiously back before he hastily looked away and backed out of the room. Another monk, a young female the color of burnt ochre, brought a tray of tea.

"This is my private study,” Tenzin explained. “We won't be bothered here unless there is an emergency. I know it is not the most luxurious of accommodations, but please have a seat."

"It's more than fine," Goliath said as he cloaked his wings and took a seat on a sturdy stool.

Pema, who had joined them, poured the tea and Tenzin passed the cups around. A few moments later, another monk entered with a tray of dumplings whose aroma made Elisa's mouth water.

"Please, help yourselves," Tenzin said graciously.

Elisa felt like she hadn't eaten in days, and she realized the last meal she had was a cup of soup the previous night...or had it been longer? She really had no idea how long they had been drifting on the lake, though she didn’t think it was more than a day or two.

She tried to eat slowly even though what she really wanted to do was shove the whole tray full in her face. They tasted just as good as they smelled, the filling was made with some mixture of spiced meat and vegetables, and they were very filling.

"What has brought you and your companions to Shambahla, Goliath?" Tenzin asked after he gave them a moment to eat. He sipped his tea casually.

"Honestly…I am not sure," Goliath replied.

Bronx whined at him and rested his blocky head on his thigh. Goliath patted his head and slipped him a few dumplings from his plate.

Then he looked to Elisa and Angela as he debated how much to tell.

"We have been on a quest to get back home to Manhattan, but the last thing we remember, we were in a different Tibetan monastery, one where only humans resided. We were attacked and incapacitated by someone who is sometimes an ally of ours and sometimes an enemy...and when we came to, we were here." 

Tenzin nodded thoughtfully at him.

"We sometimes get visitors here who come from all manner of places. We have no explanation for it, though we suspect it has something to do with the enchantment on the valley."

"Enchantment?"

"A protection spell of a sort. It deters people from finding us. It was cast several centuries ago for protection, though the knowledge of the spell, what stipulations it may have had, has been lost to us."

"Generally when we find ourselves in a new place, we have been sent there for a reason. To help in some way before we move on," Goliath replied.

Tenzin was thoughtful for a moment.

"Sent? By whom?” he asked.

“It’s hard to explain...but we were sent by a mystical island. Every time we leave, we are sent somewhere in the world, and then when our task is completed there, we return to the island and try again to find home.”

“We have no pressing concerns. I have no idea why you would be sent here," Tenzin replied.

Goliath shared a look with Elisa. Whatever the reason, they were sure to know soon. They'd been down this road many times.

"I thought you said your mate would join us? I don't want to eat all the dumplings if she's coming," Angela said bashfully.

Tenzin laughed as if she had just told the best joke he had ever heard and glanced at Pema, then he put his hand over hers.

"Pema is my mate," he said.

Elisa nearly choked on the dumpling she had just put in her mouth.

"Oh," Angela said simply, and she seemed to accept the information easily and move on, but Goliath and Elisa were stunned, and their disbelief must have been written all over their faces.

"It is no secret here in Shambahla, and though we are aware of the unusual nature of our union and how outsiders may feel about it, if you are unable to show Pema respect, then I would ask you to leave peacefully now," Tenzin said firmly.

“You do not have to worry about any disrespect from us," Goliath said, appeasing him.

Elisa felt Goliath’s gaze shift to her, and she refused to look at him.

She was startled and disconcerted by this whole situation. Having an actual example of a relationship she kept saying was impossible be quite possible indeed was jarring.

"How long do you plan to stay here in Shambahla? You are welcome to stay as long as you like, of course," Tenzin continued.

"I am not sure. Most of the time we find out within a day or two why Avalon has sent us somewhere…though, to be fair, I am not sure if Avalon even sent us this time," Goliath explained.

“How is it that you all came to be on this mystical island of Avalon from Manhattan?”

“It may take a while to explain," Goliath said.

"We have time," Pema said as she glanced at Tenzin who nodded.

Goliath looked to Elisa who nodded her reassurance, and then he began to tell them about how it was they indirectly came to be in Shambahla.

It took a while for Goliath, Elisa, and Angela to explain, taking turns to fill in details from their own perspectives. Tenzin also had a lot of questions. He had a very sharp critical mind, and he knew when they were leaving out details.

Goliath did manage to leave out a few things, specifically things that could pose a security risk for the clan on Avalon, like the actual spell to get there.

"What I would like to know is how your clan came to be in Manhattan in the first place," Tenzin asked once he had processed the information.

"That would take another night or two to explain," Goliath replied.

“I will gladly clear my schedule,” Tenzin said with a light laugh.

He led them out of his study at that point and took them on a tour of the monastery. There were classrooms where the hatchlings were taught how to read and write by the monks, and a studio where they practiced a form of martial art, but the monastery served an even greater purpose as an archive and history museum of sorts. There were rooms with rows of shelves filled with clay tablets, tomes, scrolls, and parchments; some ancient and crumbling and some only a few years old.

And they all contained one thing: the history and records of gargoyle clans around the world.

In one of the rooms, the largest containing the oldest records, was a large map that hung on the wall. It had been painstakingly drawn by hand, updated by information brought by others to the valley as Tenzin explained no one from his clan had left Shambahla in hundreds of years.

Goliath stared in awe at the vast amount of information.

This was his people’s history.

A precious record worth more than any amount of money in the world.

“This is...astonishing,” Goliath said amazed as he looked upon the map. There were golden circles drawn in locations where clans had historically inhabited.

Most had red Xs drawn through them.

Goliath examined the area that was his ancestral home. On the western shore of Scotland, there was a red X.

“You’ll need to update your map,” he said, gesturing to the location of his ancestral home.

“Your clan was Wyvern?” Tenzin said incredulously. “We had been told the entire clan was slaughtered by Viking raiders while they slept.”

“You knew of my clan? Of what happened?” Goliath said in shock.

Tenzin nodded.

“Or at least, what we were told,” he said.

“Not everyone was slaughtered...a few survived. Including myself,” Goliath said, his tone was melancholy as he remembered that time.

“You mean, your ancestors survived?” Tenzin clarified.

“No. I meant that I survived.”

Tenzin looked skeptically at him.

“That was over a thousand years ago. How is that possible?”

“It’s...a long story,” Goliath said simply.

“You  _ must _ tell me. I will beg you if I have to,” Tenzin said sincerely.

“Please forgive my mate’s eagerness. He is a lover of history and clambers to get even the tiniest bits of information,” Pema said affectionately.

“I would be glad to tell you, for your records,” Goliath agreed, beginning to wonder if this was the reason why they had been sent there.

“Excellent! You have my deepest gratitude,” Tenzin said thrilled, and then he sighed. “But it will have to wait until tomorrow night. Lobsang thinks leopards are getting into the valley again and stealing calves from our yak herds, and I promised I would aid in setting traps. Please, tell me you will stay and relate your history to me?”

Goliath looked again to Elisa and Angela who nodded.

“Though we are eager to resume our journey, we will stay for a little while,” he said.

“Thank you,” Tenzin said and he bowed. “Pema, my love, will you show them around the rest of the village?”

“Of course,” she said brightly.

Tenzin leaned down and pressed his brow to hers before he left them.

Elisa couldn’t help but notice the longing look on Goliath’s face as he observed Tenzin and Pema's interactions.

"Please, come with me," Pema said as she led them out of the monastery and back out into the village.

At first glance, it looked like a normal village, but up close it functioned much differently. There were no shops, no one hocking their wares or selling food at market. The gargoyles went about working, engaged in tasks, but it all had a very communal feel. Some engaged in jobs like blacksmithing and tailoring, but everyone pitched in for the betterment of the clan.

The hatchlings who were on break from their lessons, trailed them like a flock of geese, enamored by the visitors, and no one paid them much mind, as long as they were staying out of trouble. There was a dormitory where Pema resided, along with any human guests they might have occasionally, there was a building for ablutions, and a vast hall for cooking, dining, and celebrations. A river skirted the village and monastery, and the valley beyond the temple was used for grazing their sheep and yaks and growing rice and wheat and other crops.

They were the most independent and self reliant clan Elisa had ever seen, even more than the London clan.

By the time, the tour was over and Pema had answered all of their questions, it was nearly dawn. They shared a meal with the whole clan where they were eagerly pestered with questions by curious gargoyles who plied them with food and some mildly alcoholic drink Elisa was unfamiliar with, but it left her with a very pleasant buzz. At one point, a hatchling, a burgundy red young female, climbed into her lap, totally unafraid of her. She found Elisa’s badge and played with it curiously.

Goliath smiled affectionately at her as she engaged in conversation with the small child who showed her her favorite toy which was a simple doll that looked roughly like a gargoyle.

By the time the night was over, they were all exhausted, but high on the joy of being around a large, happy clan of gargoyles. When dawn came, Goliath, Angela, and Bronx joined the gargoyles at the monastery where they gathered together.

“I will see you tomorrow night, Elisa,” Goliath said affectionately before he turned to stone.

“Sleep well, Big Guy,” Elisa said as she patted his shoulder.

Pema left the stone form of her mate and walked over to Elisa.

“You must be exhausted. I will show you where you may rest during your visit.”

“Thank you,” Elisa said gratefully.

“If you need anything, please come find me,” Pema said as she showed her her own room.

Then they parted ways for the day.

Elisa’s room was just a simple room of stone and stucco with a tiny fire pit in the center and a bed that was similar to the futon she slept on in Japan, which consisted of a thin soft mattress piled high with soft woolen blankets. She didn’t even bother undressing, she was so tired. She pulled off her jacket and boots and climbed in and slept like the dead.


	3. Getting Acquainted

Elisa woke up to the sound of someone knocking on her door. She sat up and looked around. It was dark out.

Had she slept the whole day?

Yawning, she climbed out of bed and opened the door to find Goliath on the other side.

“Hey,” she said sleepily. “I must have overslept. Give me a minute to–”

“Elisa…” Goliath said her name, and the way he said it, full of passion and longing, made her heart pound in her chest and her knees weak.

“Do you need something?” she asked, concerned.

“Just you,” Goliath said, and he leaned down and pressed his mouth to hers.

Elisa was immensely startled for half a second, but then she moaned and eagerly kissed him back.

He got his hands beneath her and lifted her up against a wall, pressing her between it and his body as he kissed her. He kissed her lips and then he kissed her jaw and neck. He kissed her everywhere he had access to, and when he wanted more, he began to tug at her clothing.

“Goliath, wait, we shouldn’t,” Elisa protested weakly as he began to pull her shirt up.

“I love you, Elisa. I have loved you for a very long time, and I want to show you how much I love you,” he said.

“Oh, god...I love you, too,” Elisa said, and she kissed him vigorously. She wanted this. She wanted him.

He quickly tore off her shirt, and then her pants and underwear. His hands wandered over her body, touching her everywhere she had ever longed for him to touch.

She got her hands on his loincloth, hardly believing this was happening as she undid his belt buckle and shoved his loincloth down.

He didn’t waste anytime and he swiftly impaled her, taking her, pinned up against the wall.

“Oh, god, Goliath,” Elisa moaned as he thrust into her.

“Elisa,” Goliath moaned her name.

She was lost to the delirium of their union as he took her, and the sensation of their bodies moving together, of his hands touching her, caressing her as she quickly built towards climax.

“Goliath...Goliath...Goliath!” she screamed.

And woke herself up.

She sat up gasping, her heart racing.

Then she groaned and fell back against her bed.

It had just been a dream.

One that kept recurring.

The scenarios were always different, but it was always Goliath coming to her like that, proclaiming his love and desire, and then taking her willingly and passionately.

Since she could never have him in real life, her dreams tried to make up for it, apparently.

She dragged her hands through her hair in frustration.

She wasn’t sure what time it was, but it was still light outside, and she decided to give up on sleep and get up.

She washed up as best she could with the wash basin in her room using the small bag of toiletry supplies she carried with her. She would have to ask Pema if there were any other options available to her, but she also resigned herself to this if that was all she had.

She’d been roughing it for several months now, she could put up with a lot at this point.

With her stomach growling, she walked to the dining hall to look for something to eat, and found Pema.

“Elisa, good afternoon,” she said with a slight bow, her palms pressed together.

Elisa returned the gesture.

Pema was busy making some kind of noodle soup over a wood burning stove. It looked like a simple broth, but it smelled delicious.

"The soup is not quite ready, but I have some tea if you would like a cup?"

"Yes, please. The soup smells wonderful, by the way," Elisa replied.

"It's very simple. If you like it, I will teach you how to make it," Pema said as she poured a cup of tea for her.

"Thank you," Elisa said graciously and sipped it. "How long have you lived here with gargoyles?"

"Most of my life. I grew up not too far from here in a small village. I had grown up hearing rumors of a clan of gargoyles, or geruda as my people called them. No one had seen them, but they were used as stories to frighten children into behaving better."

"That seems to be a common theme, unfortunately." 

"Yes. It should not be so,” Pema agreed.

“When I had just turned fifteen, there was an earthquake. It happened at night when everyone was home and asleep...I was the only survivor in my family…and my entire village," she said solemnly. 

"I'm sorry," Elisa replied compassionately. 

"It was a remote village, and I wandered for days looking for help. I was delirious from dehydration and half dead when I stumbled into Shambahla. Tenzin found me. I thought he was an angel or a god," she said dreamily. "The clan took care of me, and when I was well enough to leave, I had no desire to. That was 39 years ago."

"Do you ever miss other humans?" Elisa asked. 

"Sometimes, but I have love and companionship at night, and peace and quiet during the day. I enjoy my life"

Elisa sat anxiously, a question burning on her tongue, but she didn’t dare ask it.

"I can see you have a lot of questions," Pema said amused.

"Yes, but I don't think they're appropriate," Elisa said chagrined. 

Pema laughed heartily.

"It's a good thing it's just us girls then," she said with a conspiratorial smile.

Given permission, Elisa asked one of her more pressing questions.

"So…you and Tenzin…"

Pema laughed lightly.

"How did we end up together?" she guessed.

“It seems like there would be a lot to overcome there.”

“Not as much as you may think, but...it did take several years,” Pema said with a smile. “We were very good friends who longed to be more than friends for a long time.”

Boy, if Elisa couldn't relate to that.

"So, what made you take that step?"

"About thirty years ago, I got really sick, and I almost didn't make it, but Tenzin stayed by my bed the whole time and nursed me through it. Every night he begged and prayed for my recovery. I heard him through my feverish delirium proclaim his love for me. After that, I didn’t want to waste any more time. So, when I was well again and had regained my strength, I told him I had heard him, and that I loved him as well, that I wanted to spend my life with him. We’ve been together ever since.”

“Did you ever worry he might not accept your proposal?”

“Of course,” Pema replied. “I knew he loved me, but...that was a big step and outside norms. I was so nervous I couldn’t eat that entire day, but I had nothing to fear; he accepted me...rather vigorously, I might add," Pema finished with a smile. Her face had a dreamy, far off look as she reminisced.

And Elisa smiled enviously at her.

“Anyway, tell me about yourself, Elisa Maza. We have heard Goliath speak of your clan in Manhattan, but I want to know more about you. How did  _ you _ come to be part of a gargoyle clan?” Pema asked curiously. She dished out a bowl of the noodle soup for her and for herself.

As they ate, Elisa told her of her job as a detective with the NYPD, of investigating a disturbance at the castle, and her first encounter with Goliath. Pema seemed to find the way they met particularly amusing. She spoke of the clan, and gave her a quick summary of the last few years. They were still busy chatting when evening fell, and the gargoyles awakened, and their tête-à-tête was interrupted by the needs of the clan and the bustle of a busy night.

* * *

“Broadway had been caught at sunrise, in midair, with a hundred feet between him and the concrete below,” Goliath said retelling the tale of Elisa’s expert marksmanship to a crowd of enthralled gargoyles after the first meal of the night had concluded.

“A crate of rug imports was hanging from a crane, and Elisa quickly shot at a rope that kept it suspended. She shot only twice, and the crate broke open upon the ground, its contents spilling out. Broadway landed safely and didn’t sustain a single scratch,” he concluded.

“Wow!” a hatchling said in awe.

Elisa laughed.

“If I were a really good marksman, I would have got it on the first shot,” Elisa said dismissively.

Goliath smiled at her.

“It was a thin rope, and you were acting quickly. You saved Broadway, like you have saved us so many times over the years. I honestly don’t know what we would do without you...what I would do without you,” Goliath responded, his tone reverent.

“Hey, you saved my life first,” Elisa replied, and she smiled at him, and they looked at each other like they were the only two in the room.

Tenzin and Pema shared a knowing glance with each other.

Goliath tore his eyes away from Elisa and looked around as if he suddenly realized he was surrounded by others.

“Tenzin...should we get to it then?” he said.

Tenzin smiled and nodded.

“I’m ready if you are,” he replied. He pressed his brow to Pema’s, whispered something in her ear that made her release a short burst of laughter, and then he followed Goliath out of the dining hall and towards the monastery.

* * *

After Goliath left with Tenzin, Elisa left with Pema to help her with whatever tasks she had, leaving Angela and Bronx to fend for themselves.

“Well, Bronx, how shall we kill time?” she asked the loyal beast.

He woofed at her as if to say, he had no idea.

A pack of gargoyle beasts, all with the same appearance, white with turquoise manes, roamed through at that point. They barked excitedly at Bronx who barked excitedly in reply and loped off after them, leaving Angela by herself.

She sighed and wandered off on her own through the village and found herself in the monastery. She heard the laughter of hatchlings and followed the sound to the classroom where they were being taught by that same male gargoyle who had caught her eye yesterday in Tenzin’s study.

Norbu, she eventually learned was his name, was one of the monks, an acolyte who was about to take his final vows. Angela had no idea what that entailed, but it was an esteemed position in the clan, and that impressed her.

As she watched him instruct a hatchling on his calligraphy, he kept glancing furtively at her, and afterwards, he asked her if she wanted to go for a glide.

Angela smiled and accepted his offer.


	4. Ruffled Feathers

Goliath mostly spoke with Tenzin in his study, but they occasionally took breaks and strolled through the monastery where Tenzin would show him more of their archives. Tsering was in the monastery to teach the hatchlings at one point in the night when the two leaders strolled past the classroom, talking seriously together. They had been sequestered away in Tenzin’s study most of the night, and she hadn’t seen much of either of them.

Tsering had never seen any other gargoyles before outside of her clan, and he was strange to her, but not in an unpleasant way. He was a lot bigger and stronger than the males of her clan. Like he had been roughly hewn from granite and brought to life.

Something about him appealed to her, though, something that thrilled her immensely whenever she saw him.

Something she hadn’t felt for anyone other than…

She felt eyes on her and she looked up across the hall to a room of archives where she caught sight of a familiar monk with terracotta skin and burnt sienna wings.

Rinchen.

He had noticed her watching Goliath from where he had been working, and the pained look on his face made her want to run across the hall and fling herself in his arms. To caress him and hold him the way she had once so long ago. To beg his forgiveness. To be with him.

But it was forbidden.

She needed to move on, and with difficulty, she turned away and went about her business as Rinchen watched her mournfully from the other side of the hall.

* * *

“You’ve seen great tragedy,” Tenzin said quietly as Goliath finished telling him about his clan up to the betrayal and massacre at Wyvern. He had yet to explain being turned to stone for a millennium or Xanatos and their awakening in New York.

“As have many others,” Goliath acknowledged sadly. “My clan’s circumstances have unfortunately not been unique to my clan.”

“No, it has not,” Tenzin said regrettably. “When my clan began to keep record of other clans around the world, we would send out messengers who would travel far and wide and gather information, but over the centuries, we began to see a disturbing trend.”

"Clans being slaughtered?" Goliath guessed. 

"Yes, and then one day, a few centuries ago, Shambahla was attacked. Rumors had swirled in a nearby village that we were hoarding a great treasure,” Tenzin paused and laughed morosely. “The only treasure we have is only precious to us; the accrued knowledge we have here. Luckily they were not aware of our vulnerability, and they decided to attack under the cover of night. The clan was caught off guard, and they were unaccustomed to fighting, but they fought them off...at a great cost. Many of the clan were killed, including hatchlings. After that, a decision was made by the clan to seal off the valley, and they cast a spell that deters people from coming in. After a while, our existence was forgotten or lost to myth and legend. Occasionally, a rogue human manages to wander into the valley, somehow bypassing the spell, as you and your companions have, and we learn all we can from them of the world before we send them on their way.”

“Is that how Pema got here?” Goliath asked.

Tenzin smiled fondly at the mention of his mate.

“Pema stumbled into the valley about 39 years ago. She was barely clinging to life when we found her,” he explained.

“39 years ago? She must have been little more than a child,” Goliath said astonished.

“Yes. She was 15 years old. An earthquake destroyed her village, though Shambahla was relatively unscathed. Pema was the only survivor. She wandered for days, hungry and thirsty, and by some kind of miracle or serendipity, she found our valley. We found her just a few yards from the lake where she had collapsed. We nursed her back to health, and she wound up staying.”

“Because you fell in love with her?" Goliath remarked.

Tenzin chuckled softly.

“Once you get to know Pema better, you’ll see I had little choice in the matter.”

Goliath instantly thought of Elisa, and how he felt almost helpless in regards to how he felt about her.

“I did not love her immediately, though, we were both young. Our love for each other grew over time, and only after years of much resistance did we finally admit our feelings and become mates,” Tenzin explained, and then he eyed Goliath speculatively. “I must say, you are remarkably open minded that I have a human mate, by the way.”

“It is...not my place to tell anyone who they should love,” Goliath replied carefully.

“No...I think you perhaps might be...somewhat sympathetic, if I’m not mistaken,” Tenzin said carefully. “I have noticed how you speak of Elisa. She is more than a friend to you, isn’t she?”

“Yes...you have accurately assessed the situation,” Goliath confirmed. “But our world is a lot more complicated than your world, Tenzin. A lot less understanding, and Elisa would be the one to suffer the consequences if we decided to go the route you and Pema have. Though I long for more, I fear we may always be nothing more than friends.”

Tenzin nodded understandingly.

Then he stood up and called outside his office. A moment later, a male monk around Goliath’s age walked in carrying a large tome.

“Thank you, Rinchen,” Tenzin said gratefully as he took the thick book out of his hands.

The monk nodded his head and left.

He held the book out to Goliath who took it carefully with his taloned hands.

“This is all the history we have on your clan, Goliath,” Tenzin said. “It’s a copy, not the original which is too fragile to handle. Part of the job of our monks is to translate and transcribe older works so that they are not lost to the inevitable decay of time.”

Goliath reverently took the book from his hands.

Then he opened it and glanced at the first lines.

_ “Upon the rocky western coast of the Kingdom of Alba, there resides a fairly large clan in a place called Wyvern. I speculate the location is named for the clan by nearby humans. They are led by a young male who is large in stature with tan brown skin and straw blond hair and, unusual for our species, a beard. The gargoyles of this clan are as rugged and intractable as the cliffs they live on. They are primarily hunters and gatherers and have little to no agriculture...” _

Goliath looked up from the text.

"What year was this written? The description of the leader sounds like Hudson. I was his second in command until he stepped down."

"The year 955 A.D., I believe," Tenzin replied.

“That’s him then," he said with amazement.

"He’s one of the survivors, correct?"

"Yes. He must have met an ancestor of your clan. I cannot wait to talk to him about this," Goliath said.

The excitement on Tenzin's face fell.

"Goliath…there's something you should know…"

There was a timid knock at the door and an acolyte walked in; a young bronze colored female around Angela's age. She looked rather upset.

"Yes, Tashi?" Tenzin addressed her.

"May I speak with you privately?" she asked, her voice trembling.

Tenzin's brows rose with concern.

"Of course. Goliath, could you give us a minute?"

"Certainly. I need to stretch my legs a bit anyway," he replied, and he got up and left Tenzin to speak alone with the young female.

“What’s wrong, Tashi?” Tenzin asked.

“Norbu, he–”

Goliath didn’t hear the rest as he shut the door behind him.

He realized he still held the book in his hands and thought to return it, but decided better of it. He didn’t want to intrude. He cracked the pages open again and continued to read about his clan as he walked down the corridor.

"Goliath!" someone called to him.

He turned to see Tsering walking quickly towards him. He paused in his stride to allow her to catch up before continuing to walk again.

"Tsering. Hello," he said, acknowledging her.

It surprised her that he recalled her name.

"Uh...how have you enjoyed Shambahla so far?" she asked and cursed herself for being unable to think of anything more clever to say.

"Considering I have spent most of it in Tenzin's study, it has been fine," Goliath said wryly 

Tsering smiled a little abashed.

Now that she had asked one foolish question, she figured she may as well ask another.

“Is Angela your mate?” Tsering asked bluntly, and Goliath stumbled slightly as they walked.

“No! She is my daughter,” he corrected quickly.

“Daughter? But…” Tsering paused, confused. “How old are you?”

Goliath laughed at her bluntness. She certainly wasn’t afraid to ask prying questions that others would have avoided out of a sense of propriety.

“I am one-thousand and fifty-eight years old,” he replied.

“No,” Tsering said skeptically. “I don’t buy that.”

“I hatched in the year nine-hundred and thirty-eight.”

“You’re pulling my tail!” Tsering said incredulously.

Goliath laughed.

“I’m not. I was cursed to sleep a thousand years while Angela and her rookery were whisked away to be raised on a magical island where time passes more slowly, hence the age discrepancy.”

Tsering blinked several times.

“That is...unbelievable,” she said.

“Believe it or not, that is your choice, but it is what happened.”

Tsering shook her head and decided to move on from that mind-boggling topic.

“You must have a mate back home you are anxious to return to, though, right?” Tsering asked, circling back to her previous question.

“No, uh–” Goliath paused wondering how to explain everything that had occurred between him and Demona. “She was lost to me...long ago.”

“Oh,” Tsering said sadly, assuming she had died. “I am sorry for your loss.”

Goliath nodded.

Close enough.

If it was hard for Tsering to accept he had been asleep for a thousand years, it would be even harder for her to accept that his former mate had made a bargain with faeries that made her immortal.

“Don’t be. I have long since moved past it,” he replied darkly.

Tsering glanced at him and decided it was worth a shot. He was single…she was single…

“Well, if it’s any consolation, you look...very good for your advanced age,” she teased, and then her eyes slowly roamed up and down his body, eyeing him appreciatively.

“Quite good, indeed…” she said as she stepped in front of him and placed a hand on his chest, causing him to pause in his steps. Then she ran her talons down his chest and abdomen to the top of his belt before she turned abruptly and walked away.

She cast one look over her shoulder and smiled at him before walking off, her tail and hips swishing alluringly.

“Jalapeña,” Goliath muttered to himself, and he had a brief thought of what it would feel like to run his hands over her feathery wings. He shook his head, immediately disregarding that notion. Tsering was immensely attractive. She had a figure any male would be happy to have warm him on a cold night… 

But she wasn’t Elisa.

She didn’t make his heart pound the way Elisa did.

She didn’t maddeningly occupy his thoughts and dreams the way Elisa did.

She had not earned his trust after it had been so completely shattered or held him together while he slowly healed his broken heart.

No, Tsering was lovely…but she was not Elisa.

* * *

Rinchen watched Tsering as she walked and talked with the Scottish gargoyle, Goliath. He was on his way back to the monastery after taking a quick meal. He had taken a manuscript with him that he had painstakingly translated, and checked for errors while he ate, but he was distracted by the sight of the two of them walking together. Tsering said something that made the large lavender gargoyle laugh, and it ruffled his feathers. It bothered him to see Tsering with another male, and then he mentally chastised himself for his thoughts. Tsering could do as she pleased. She deserved happiness. No matter what happened between them nearly ten years ago, he had no claim on her. Not when he was a monk who was supposed to focus solely on his work and not on the opposite sex.

But it was difficult.

Especially when it came to Tsering.

He watched her with great longing as she walked away with the unfamiliar male.

Then Tsering turned to Goliath and ran her hand down his chest, touching him flirtatiously. 

He clenched his fists hard enough that his talons bit into his flesh and drew blood, inadvertently destroying the manuscript he had just completed.

He sighed as he looked at the bloodied and torn paper in his hands.

Weeks of work destroyed because he could not master his emotions.

Because he could not have Tsering.

He sighed sadly and returned to the monastery where he spent the rest of the night rewriting his transcript, and hoped fervently that he did not run into Tsering and Goliath together again.

* * *

Elisa headed over to the monastery to find Goliath and see if he was hungry. Pema had shown her how to make momo dumplings earlier, and she brought some for him and Tenzin that she had proudly made herself. It turned out she didn’t even have to step foot into the monastery as she saw Goliath’s familiar form as he emerged from the building. 

But he wasn't alone.

Tsering, the buxom female who was Tenzin’s second in command was with him, and judging by her body language, she was flirting with him. Elisa’s mouth twisted sourly at the sight of him laughing at something she had said. They walked a little farther and then Tsering turned to him, put her hand on his chest, and ran her fingers all the way down his abdomen, a coquettish smile on her face before she sauntered off, swaying her hips and tail as she did, and Goliath watched her with fascination as she walked off.

How dare she!

Goliath was not hers!

He was–

Elisa paused mid-thought and growled under her breath. She knew it didn't make sense, but she couldn’t help the territorial feelings she had regarding Goliath. She couldn’t have him, but she couldn’t stand for anyone else to have him either, and she was mad at herself for her irrational thoughts.

Besides, it wasn't like it mattered. They would be leaving in a few days. It was just harmless flirtation.

Wasn't it?

She turned and stomped off irritably in the opposite direction and ran right into Angela.

“Oh!” Elisa said startled and wondered how long the young gargoyle had been standing there observing her. “Angela…I-I didn’t see you there.”

Angela had recently returned from her glide with Norbu. She had been curious about the wild cats that lived in the mountains, and hoped to see one herself. Norbu had been kind enough to try and find one with her, but they’d had no luck. There was a reason why they were called ghosts of the mountain, apparently, but she had been lucky enough to spend the evening in his company. He was very attractive, and he made her feel things she hadn’t felt for any of her rookery brothers.

It was an exciting and new feeling, and she felt like she was walking on air, until she stumbled upon Elisa and wondered why she looked so sad...until she saw her father across the way with Tsering who was clearly trying very hard to get his attention.

“You’re in love with him,” Angela said gently to her.

“Who?” Elisa said, playing dumb as she tried to dodge the question.

Angela gave her a level look.

“My father. You’re in love with him.”

Elisa looked away.

“I care a great deal about him, but love? No, ” Elisa said, but she knew it sounded like the lie it was as soon as it left her lips.

Angela shook her head.

"You may think I am young and naive, but I know what love looks like," Angela chided. "And besides...how could I possibly believe you don't love him when you can't even convince yourself?"

Elisa's jaw went slack at the young gargoyle's blunt words, and then she shut her mouth, clacking her teeth together, and scowled at her 

Angela placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. 

“I’m pretty sure he loves you, too,” she said sympathetically.

“What does it matter if we love each other, Angela? It doesn’t change the fact that he is a gargoyle, and I am a human,” Elisa said stubbornly.

“It doesn’t seem to be a problem for Tenzin and Pema,” Angela shot back.

Elisa’s scowl only grew deeper.

“You should tell him how you feel. The tension between you two aboard the skiff…it’s nearly unbearable!”

“Tell him? To what end? What kind of life could we possibly have together?” Elisa snapped.

“You two could be happy,” Angela oversimplified.

“That’s fantasy, not reality, Angela. It’s just not possible,” Elisa said bitterly.

Angela squared her shoulders stubbornly. Elisa was going to listen to reason for once whether she wanted to or not.

“I watched the Magus pine for Katharine my whole life! He could have said something! He could have fought for her! At the very least, he would have known he tried. Don’t be like the Magus and waste what precious time you could have together!"

Elisa looked away, reminded of her own words to the Magus.

_ “You still love her. Why didn’t you fight for her?” _

“I know there are a lot of obstacles in the way, but if you saw the way he looked at you when you aren’t looking, you wouldn’t be so reluctant.”

“How does he…how does he look at me?” Elisa asked, her voice softening.

“Like he’s seeing the sun for the first time,” Angela replied. “Like you’re the most beautiful and wonderful thing he’s ever seen in his whole life. Other times he looks at you with such longing and heartache, I can barely stand it.”

Elisa was quiet for several moments, her eyes sad.

“It doesn't matter,” she said eventually, her tone defeated. “It’s just not possible.”

She shoved a platter of dumplings in her hands and walked away in the opposite direction of her and Goliath, leaving Angela to stare regretfully after her.

They were both so stubborn, she thought frustratedly. If she could see it so clearly, why couldn’t they?

* * *

When they had gathered for the final meal of the day, Goliath noticed Elisa was particularly quiet. She didn’t engage in conversation with him like she normally did. He tried to ask how she had spent her time while he was occupied with Tenzin, but her answers were clipped and even a little curt.

He looked to Angela for some kind of explanation for Elisa's unusually morose mood, but she offered up none, and just looked at him like he was an idiot.

He gave up and hoped she was just feeling homesick.


	5. Misconceptions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> !WARNING!: This chapter contains some mild non-con that may be triggering for some. Proceed with caution.

The next night, Goliath and Tenzin resumed their discussion. Goliath spoke of his clan, past and present, and Tenzin wrote it all down. Occasionally, the monk Rinchen came and took notes as well, though he seemed to be awfully irritated to be there. Tenzin needed to call it for a while as two gargoyles barged in arguing with each other and him, some dispute over crop rotations, or something of the like. Goliath had no clue about agriculture, so he stayed out of it, and left Tenzin to deal with the issue.

He had no idea what Elisa and Angela were up to, so he took the chance to walk leisurely through the monastery, observing the monks and acolytes, and stumbled upon a large sparring room where Tsering was instructing the hatchlings.

They all looked rather adorable in their matching robes, and he was immensely amused by their clumsy attempts to follow her moves. She was patient and had a way of correcting them gently. She was a good teacher which Goliath admired. He had never had the patience.

A bell rang somewhere in the temple and the hatchlings all leapt to their feet and scampered out of the room, Goliath had to step aside out of fear he would be caught in the stampede.

"Good evening, Goliath," Tsering said brightly. 

"Good evening Tsering. You have great skill with teaching," he said, complimenting her.

Her smile widened.

"I don't know about that, but I enjoy teaching the hatchlings." 

"That's why you're good at it," Goliath rebutted. “I am impressed you still continue to have combat drills and hone your abilities even though you never see conflict.”

“It keeps us disciplined,” Tsering replied. “We can hope our clan is safe, but one day it may not be, and we need to be ready, or the results could be devastating as they have in the past.”

Goliath entered the dojo-like room and looked at some of the weaponry on the walls. Mostly staves and spears, but there were a few swords and shields as well.

“Even when you are ready, the results can be devastating, but it's worse when you're not,” Goliath rumbled thoughtfully.

“Does your clan practice any kind of martial art?” Tsering asked.

“No. We rely on tactics, strength, and teamwork.”

“All good things,” Tsering said. “How do you keep your body strong and your mind sharp, then?”

Goliath raised his brows.

“I spend a lot of time gliding...and I see a lot of conflict and fighting,” Goliath explained. 

“And your mind?”

“I read a lot.”

Tsering nodded, and she began to circle him slowly as if sizing him up.

“You know...size and strength can only get you so far,” she said.

Goliath tracked her with his eyes, only turning his head slightly when she moved behind him.

“Indeed. It is important to have strategy as well,” Goliath agreed nervously, unsure of what she was up to.

“At some point, size can even become a weakness,” she said, and she moved suddenly, quick as lightning. Goliath crouched into a low position, ready to block her, but she dropped down unexpectedly, sliding on her knees. She got low, swept his legs out from underneath him, and dropped him like a stone to the ground, knocking the wind out of him.

She swept a leg over him and straddled him, her talons were at his neck, and she could easily tear out his throat if she chose to do so.

Goliath lay there stunned at how quickly that had occurred.

“It is not about size, but how you use it,” Tsering said confidently, her voice low with double meaning.

Then she looked towards the door, and Goliath turned his head as far as he could to see what she was looking at. Elisa was standing there with a rather shocked look on her face.

Goliath looked back at Tsering and immediately knew what this must look like to her.

“I guess I came at a bad time,” she said, her face beet red, and she turned and walked out.

"Elisa, wait," he said as he gently moved Tsering off of him and picked himself up off the floor.

He scrabbled after Elisa, leaving Tsering behind.

"That wasn't what you thought it was," Goliath said once he caught up to her.

"You really don't need to explain it to me," Elisa said as she picked up her pace and tried to walk away. Goliath took a few long strides to catch up.

"Tsering was just showing me some tactics from their martial arts. That's all."

"What you do in your spare time is none of my business, Goliath," Elisa said, attempting to sound indifferent and nonchalant, but it came out a lot more cross than she intended.

Goliath caught her hand and forced her to stop walking and face him.

“Elisa, you care more than you let on, I know we–”

"We? There is no  _ we _ , Goliath. Get that into your head," Elisa snapped angrily, and she pulled her hand away from him and stormed off, leaving Goliath, who did not follow her this time, looking forlorn as he watched her leave.

Tsering watched him apprehensively from the sparring room doorway wondering what on earth that had all been about.

* * *

Norbu invited Angela to go with him to help with the leopard issue their herds were still having. If they lost any more calves, their herds would be decimated, and the food and wool they provided for the winter was necessary for the clan’s survival. Too many lost calves would mean they wouldn’t have enough to replace the ones they used for meat, and they’d struggle with genetic diversity to keep their herd healthy. It was really important that they quickly got rid of the leopard that was picking off their herd.

“I don’t have much experience with hunting,” Angela bashfully told Norbu when he asked her to go with him. “My father is good at it. He can track a deer and take it down quickly, but I grew up on an island where we always had plenty to eat, and I never had to develop the skills.”

“Come with me, and I’ll give you a few pointers,” Norbu had responded flirtatiously.

He had a dazzling smile that made Angela feel all kinds of odd fluttery sensations, and she went very willingly with him.

He was a very attentive male who often complimented her. He’d hang on her every word, and he always tried to find every little excuse to touch her. Nothing obscene, he would bump against her shoulder, his hand would brush against hers, but only in private. Anytime they were with the rest of the clan, he practically ignored her.

She was disconcerted by his coldness when that happened, but when she had his attention, he made her feel...special, and with Elisa occupied with Pema and Goliath busy with Tenzin, she didn’t have a lot to do but spend time with Norbu.

Even Bronx seemed to enjoy the company of the clan’s beasts to her.

And that’s how she found herself hanging out alone at the foot of a mountain with him on the farthest edge of the valley, searching for snow leopards.

It was a little dull, to be honest. They spent a lot of time sitting and waiting with a haunch of yak meat as bait.

“You look bored,” Norbu said to her at one point, and she realized she had been staring off into the middle distance, her mind wandering.

“Sorry...I told you, I’ve never done this before,” she said.

He eyed her in a way that made her feel a little uncomfortable, like he was sizing her up.

“You know...there are ways we could...pass the time,” he said slyly, and he moved closer to her.

“Like what?” Angela asked a little warily.

He reached out and ran a hand through her hair.

“I’ve been wanting to do that since I first saw you,” he said, his voice thick as his talons glided through her hair.

Angela’s heart started racing, and her breathing quickened.

He bowed his head and nuzzled the crook of her neck as his hands glided over her hair.

Angela sighed, and she closed her eyes.

Those same fluttering sensations in her stomach seemed to move further south, and she sighed as his fangs grazed against her shoulder. She tentatively ran a hand over his crown of feathers. They were incredibly soft, and he growled in response in a way that made the space between her legs feel hot and achy in an unfamiliar but enticing way.

And then his hand was on her breast, and she hadn’t given him permission to touch her like that.

“Norbu...I don’t think this is ok,” Angela protested as she gently pushed his hand away.

“It’s ok, Angela, I’m not going to hurt you,” he said, and he started to nuzzle her neck again, and his tail wrapped around hers.

She let him. She liked the way it felt, she liked his attention, and he was incredibly handsome, but then he started to unlace some of the ties to her tunic, and she roughly pushed him away.

“Norbu! No!” she said firmly.

“Angela, I’m not trying to mate with you,” he said, his tone scolding like she was incredibly stupid. “We’re not supposed to, but...there are...other things we can do.”

Angela raised a brow curiously. Perhaps this was normal behavior for young gargoyles? She let him touch her breasts again, and though it felt nice, she couldn’t shake the uncomfortable feeling she had. She hardly knew him, after all. 

She didn’t know much about mating. When Angela and her siblings had started to ask questions about it, Katharine refused to tell them anything, Tom was practically useless and gave them the basic concepts, and the Magus was just as clueless and inexperienced as the rest of them.

When Gabriel and Ophelia had mated, Angela peppered her sister with questions, and she made it sound so romantic and wonderful.

This didn’t feel anything like that.

But Norbu said this wasn’t mating, so, perhaps it was ok?

All she knew was that she wasn’t supposed to mate with another gargoyle unless she wanted to be bonded to them for life.

He touched her wings, and she was surprised by how good it felt. She whimpered at his touch, and touched his in return. He growled in a way that had a decidedly different tone than anything she had heard from any of her brothers before.

Then he tried to remove her tunic again.

Angela growled and slapped his hand away.

“I’m done, Norbu. I don’t want this,” she said and shoved him away.

“Angela, come on!” Norbu growled, and she didn’t like the way he said her name. It sounded dirty in his mouth. “You shouldn’t leave me like this.”

He gestured at his loincloth and the tent he was sporting.

“No,” Angela said firmly. 

“Angela,” he growled her name, and she definitely did not like the way he kept saying her name like that.

“You can take care of it yourself,” she growled back, her eyes flashed red with warning, and she looked around for a place she could get adequate updrafts to glide away, but Norbu grabbed her arm and pulled her roughly back.

She didn’t know what he was going to do next. She didn’t give him a chance. She reeled back her free arm and punched him as hard as she could across his face. He cried out in surprise and pain and fell back, and it gave her just enough time to climb up a rocky outcropping and glide safely away from him.

* * *

“Angela, have you seen Elisa?” Goliath asked his daughter when he saw her.

“Hmm? Elisa?” she said absentmindedly like her thoughts were a million miles away. “What about Elisa?”

“I can’t find her. Have you seen her?” he asked.

“No...I’ve been...gone most of the night,” Angela replied reluctantly.

She was holding her right hand like it hurt.

“Are you alright?” he asked, concerned, and realized for the first time that her eyes were bloodshot, like she had been crying.

“I’m fine,” she said unconvincingly. “If I see Elisa, I’ll tell her you’re looking for her.”

Then she walked away.

What was it with the females in his life today, Goliath wondered?

Was Angela upset with him, too?

He knew Elisa was upset with him for certain. He wanted to talk to her, to clarify what happened earlier. That moment with Tsering. Her flirtations with him...flustered him. He had not had to deal with courting in decades, and he felt like an awkward gangly youth again, and not in a good way.

He wanted to explain that to Elisa.

That nothing ever felt awkward when he was with her.

That she made him feel things he never imagined he would ever feel again.

Tsering just made him feel uncomfortable.

Elisa tried to pretend that she didn’t have the same feelings for him, but she wouldn’t be this upset with him if she didn’t care.

He wished she would just say it already and damn the consequences!

If he could just find her, he’d tell her how he felt and put an end to this ridiculous business.

But she was clearly avoiding him.

He looked for her the rest of the night, but did not find her.


	6. Upheaval

Elisa couldn’t bear to see Goliath again that night, so she hid in her room until morning when the clan was asleep. He’d come by once and knocked on her door. She remained silent until he moved on. She felt like a coward, but she didn’t want to talk to him, to face him.

If he wanted to be with Tsering, that was his choice, but she did not want to talk about it. She didn’t want to talk about what that meant for her. That they weren’t…

She forced herself not to think about it.

Eventually she drifted off into a sleep that was plagued by dreams, including one where she and Goliath were standing on two separate but identical skiffs in the middle of the sea during a storm. A rope connected them and they hung onto it until the sea surged and the rope snapped and they drifted apart, yelling for each other over the sounds of thunder and violently crashing waves.

She woke up in a sweat, tears wet her cheeks.

She forced herself out of bed, there was no sense wallowing in self pity, and she got up and went in search of Pema.

Pema was on her way to the Monastery when she found her. 

“Ah, Elisa, we missed you last night. Are you feeling well?” she asked.

“Yeah, I was just tired, that’s all,” Elisa said brushing it off.

Pema eyed her skeptically.

“I’m off to check on the rookery. Would you like to join me?” she offered.

“I’d love to,” Elisa said genuinely.

The entrance to the rookery was concealed by a rug in the archives. When Pema rolled it back, a trapdoor and a ladder were revealed that descended into a dark cavern below. Pema climbed down with a lantern in hand. There were no lights below, but once down, she lit a slender stick from her own lantern and used the flame to light lanterns hung up around the rookery until it was well lit.

Elisa followed her down and shivered slightly at how humid and cool it was. The rookery looked like it was a natural cavern carved out by water from the river long ago and reinforced by large wooden beams by the clan. The conditions were exactly what gargoyle eggs needed to thrive.

On one side, it appeared construction was taking place, an expansion of the rookery perhaps in anticipation of more eggs, as it was currently, the platform in the center of the room that stood at about knee height and contained the giant brood of eggs, appeared to be overcrowded.

Elisa stared at them fascinated. They were white with blue-violet spots, and they were rather pretty, in a way.

Pema was more than happy to teach Elisa how the eggs were cared for and even let her hold one.

“Oof!” Elisa said as she held the egg up. “It’s so heavy!”

“They’re about 10 kilos each,” Pema explained as she rotated one of the eggs.

Elisa looked at the egg, its size, and felt really sorry for female gargoyles.

“Do you ever regret being mated to a gargoyle?” Elisa asked as they set about their work of turning all of the eggs.

Pema gave it some thought as she turned an egg.

“No, I do not regret it,” she said eventually.

“You don’t regret not having children?”

“I have children,” Pema said with a smile. “The hatchlings running around driving us all crazy, and this next clutch that will hatch soon...I am happy with my life, Elisa. It is not conventional, but I love Tenzin with all my heart...and even after all these years, he still makes me feel like the same blushing young woman who took him to her bed nearly thirty years ago. When you have love like that...you don’t let it go.”

Elisa looked away from Pema and turned another egg. She needed to keep her hands busy or she’d think too much about...him...and her.

She’d never been more confused and conflicted in her life.

“I know gargoyles do not like to talk about this, but I can see Goliath’s resemblance in Angela. She’s more than just a rookery daughter, isn’t she?”

Elisa nodded.

“She’s his own flesh and blood.”

“Was her mother lost in the massacre that destroyed most of their clan?” Pema asked.

“No, she’s very much alive...unfortunately.”

“But…” Pema furrowed her brow. “If she’s alive, then...I just thought...I must have been mistaken.”

“They’re divorced, I guess you could say,” Elisa explained. “She was the one who betrayed the clan to the Vikings and caused the massacre.”

Pema covered her face with her hands.

"How horrible," she said.

“Kind of makes sense why they’re not together anymore, doesn’t it.”

Pema eyed her thoughtfully.

“And yet, after all that he has suffered...he loves you.”

“What?” Elisa said, startled to hear Pema acknowledge it.

Pema gave her a sympathetic look.

“He’s in love with you, and I’m pretty sure you’re in love with him.”

Elisa looked away.

“Are you sure you’re not mistaking me for Tsering?” Elisa said bitterly.

“Tsering?” Pema said skeptically. "I have been around all three of you enough over the last few days to notice the way you and Goliath look at each other. You practically mate with your eyes,” she said with a laugh. “I have never seen him look at Tsering the way he looks at you.”

Elisa blushed at the thought that Pema had noticed the looks between them.

“But what if he’s moved on?”

“Elisa, you’re thinking like a human,” Pema said gently. “Allow me to offer you some advice from one who has lived a lifetime among gargoyles. When a gargoyle loves someone, truly loves someone, they don’t just move on, even in death. Goliath had a mate once, and yet he loves you which is...incredibly rare. I’ve never seen it before. You see, there's just no possible way he would move on from you to Tsering like that.”

Elisa sighed with frustration.

“But what do I do, Pema? I can’t do  _ anything _ about it, and honestly I don't even see the point! When we finally get back to Manhattan, nothing will have changed. I will go back to a world that believes gargoyles are just rain spouts that hang off the sides of buildings. I can’t love him openly. I can’t marry him. I can’t...I can’t have children with him."

“Love, especially true love, which I think you and Goliath have for each other in abundance, is a precious and rare thing, especially for Goliath. You may have some great challenges to overcome, but I think to have that kind of love offered to you and not take it, is a great waste, and I do not think your issues are as insurmountable as you think.”

Elisa growled with annoyance.

"I'm not good with stuff like this. Give me something to fight, cases to investigate, criminals to arrest, but matters of the heart?” She let out a short derisive laugh. “I’ve always been a coward about it. In the past, I always chose men that I knew I couldn’t have a future with...Goliath is just the most extreme case in a long line of bad romances."

“The difference here is love, not romance,” Pema said as she put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Have faith, Elisa, and courage to be happy." 

Elisa looked away, and idly rotated one of the eggs.

“Shall we finish taking care of these babies and then get a cup of tea?” Pema suggested.

Elisa smiled gratefully at the change of subject and then they busied themselves with their task.

"There, that's the last one," Pema said as she patted the last egg to be turned.

And then the earth moved violently.

The ground beneath their feet lurched, tossing Elisa to the ground as it heaved and shook. She cried out in pain as she landed roughly on her hip and shoulder. 

"It's an earthquake!" Pema cried out in fear, as old childhood trauma gripped her like a vice.

As the world around them shook violently, rocks and dirt began to fall from overhead.

“The eggs!” Pema cried out, and she threw herself over the clutch of eggs they had been so tenderly caring for that night, mindful not to crush them in her attempt to save them.

A large rock fell and hit Pema right on the back of her head and rolled off her back. She cried out once and slumped forward.

“PEMA!” Elisa screamed.

She crawled her way over to her as the ground still heaved. The sound was unbelievable, like rocks grinding together. It finally stopped just as soon as she was able to get to Pema. Blood trickled from a wound on the back of her head and she was unconscious, but she was still breathing. All of the eggs were ok. Not a single one appeared to be scratched or cracked.

She moved the petite woman gently off the eggs and laid her onto the ground. A few moments later the earth rumbled again, shaking more dirt loose, but thankfully nothing larger broke free during the aftershock. She glanced at her watch. They were about an hour away from sunset. She checked on Pema again, who was still unconscious but still breathing. She took off her jacket and put it under her head to help staunch the blood flow.

She needed her first-aid kit and went to retrieve it, but when she stood at the bottom of the ladder and looked up, she saw the door was closed.

But they had left it open. She was sure of it.

Elisa climbed up the ladder and pushed up on the door, but it wouldn’t budge. She gave it everything she could, but it wouldn’t move an inch.

“Shit!” Elisa cursed as she hit the door frustratedly with her fist.

Something must have fallen over the door, closing it and pinning it shut, and then she wondered what other damage the earthquake had caused. Had any other buildings or rooms collapsed? The whole clan was in the monastery. What if some of them had been hurt or damaged? Her heart began to race at the thought of Goliath, Angela, or Bronx being hurt or worse.

And she was unable to do anything to help them.

She climbed back down the ladder and her feet splashed in a puddle of water at the bottom.

“What the hell?” Elisa muttered and looked around. The rookery had filled with several inches of water. She couldn’t tell where it was bubbling up from, but something in the foundation must have broken. The river was nearby, and if the land had shifted…

“Oh, fuck!” she cursed and splashed through the water to help Pema who was still lying on the ground, her head nearly submerged in the water.

She got her arms under Pema’s armpits and dragged her into a seated position and propped her against the platform that held the eggs.

The water was halfway up her shins now, and it was icy cold. The water level was rising quickly, and she realized at this rate, the water would be over the platform and submerge the eggs in water.

Eggs were gas permeable, and if they were submerged into water, the hatchlings would eventually suffocate. The water that was rushing in likely came from the river which was formed by snow melt off the mountains. It was incredibly cold, Elisa was already losing the sensation in her toes from it. The hatchlings would freeze to death before they could suffocate.

Sunset wasn’t far off, but how long would it take to notice she and Pema were missing? And what if there was no one above who was still alive to help?

She began to panic and then forced herself to take a few calm breaths as she decided what to do. There was a recess in the wall where they had begun to expand the rookery. It was several feet higher than the egg platform, and the ledge of it was just above her shoulders.

It would have to do.

Elisa began the arduous task of lifting each egg, one by one over to the relief in the dirt wall. When she had cleared enough space she pulled Pema up onto the platform and out of the water. It took her a little over a half an hour to move all of the eggs, and her arms and back were sore by the time she had finished. Her shoulder and hip throbbed from where she had fallen on them, but all of the eggs fit snugly in the recess.

Except for one.

There was one egg too many to fit.

She climbed up onto the platform with the one egg in her lap, but then she was forced to stand as the water kept rising. A short while later the water was up to her thighs again, even on the platform. The water was filling in faster. Whatever hole the water was getting in through must have grown wider allowing water to flow in faster.

She kept Pema on her back, floating face up out of the water.

The egg in her arms suddenly wobbled, and she realized the hatchling inside was awake. It must be night now.

Goliath and the others would be awake, she hoped, they would find her and Pema soon. She just had to hang on.

“Don’t worry, baby. I’ve got you,” she crooned to the little life inside. “Just hang tight with me. We’ll get out of this mess.”

The egg jerked again in response to her words, and it made her smile.


	7. What the Water Gave

When Goliath woke that night, the first thing he noticed was the debris. There was dirt and broken plaster lying around everywhere, and cracks ran up the sides of the monastery. The others must have noticed the same thing as shouts of alarm began to ring out.

“There was an earthquake!” someone said.

Goliath first checked on Angela and Bronx.

“Are you alright,” he asked his daughter.

“Yeah, I’m fine. What’s going on?” she asked puzzled. Bronx barked and sniffed around curiously, his large fan-like ears alert to the sounds around him.

“There’s been an earthquake. We should check and see if anyone is injured,” Goliath ordered and they split up to help.

Goliath found Tenzin who was busy checking in on his clan.

“Is everyone alright? Have there been any casualties?” Goliath asked.

“Only a few minor injuries. The monastery has extensive damage we will need to begin repairing immediately, and we still need to check the rest of the village for damage, but everyone is present and accounted for, except...”

Goliath and Tenzin spoke at the same time as they realized who was missing.

“Pema.” “Elisa.”

Goliath first checked Elisa’s room in the dormitory which appeared to be relatively unscathed, but she was not there, nor was she anywhere in the village.

He had just returned to the monastery when he heard shouts about the rookery.

He rushed to help and found Tenzin and Tsering removing a large and very heavy wooden bookcase that had fallen over on top of the entrance to the rookery.

“Pema often likes to check on the eggs during the day,” Tenzin said to him. “She could be trapped down there!”

“The eggs could be damaged!” Tsering said horrified at the thought.

Elisa could be down there as well, Goliath realized, knowing Pema and Elisa spent time together during the day.

He jumped in to help and they quickly cleared the way. Tenzin lifted the trapdoor, and with horror, they found it was flooded with water.

* * *

“Come on, Goliath. Hurry,” Elisa begged. “Oh, please.”

The water had risen up to her shoulders. She was freezing, shivering with cold and forced to hold the egg up over her head at this point.

The ice-cold water just kept rising, and her limbs felt like they were being stabbed with shards of glass.

And then the lanterns went out, drowned by the water, and she was plunged into total darkness. She couldn’t see Pema anymore. She had no idea if she was still face up in the water, or if she had gone under like she had prevented all night long.

Her arms began to shake.

And then they started to ache.

She breathed consciously through her nose as she tried to focus on that instead of her arms.

If help didn’t come soon she was going to drop the egg, and the other platform would soon be submerged.

Her arms began to shake violently, and a sob broke free.

And then she heard voices overhead.

“Down here!” Elisa shouted.

The water was up to her neck now.

There was a scraping sound and then light spilled in.

"Pema!" “Elisa!”

That was Tenzin and Goliath. 

"We're here!" she shouted. Tears of relief slid down her face. Her arms shook with pain.

She couldn’t feel her feet and legs anymore and she hurt everywhere else. Her arms were about to give.

“Hurry! The rookery...is full of water!” Elisa tried to shout, but she didn’t have the strength anymore.

There was a splash and Tenzin leapt down into the water first, followed by Goliath and Tsering.

"Pema!" Tenzin lamented as he pulled her limp body out of the water.

“Goliath!” Elisa sobbed with relief. “Take it! Hurry!” she begged, spluttering out water. Goliath took the egg she held up over her head, and out of her aching arms.

Her whole body collapsed at that moment from exhaustion, and she slipped fully into the frigid water. Tsering snatched the egg out of Goliath’s arms at the same time he reached for Elisa and scooped her up out of the water.

She spluttered and coughed and clung to him as he held her tightly to his chest.

“Th-there...was an earthquake. Pema...was...h-hurt…saving the eggs,” Elisa managed to get out weakly through her chattering teeth.

“Where are the rest of the eggs?!” Tsering shouted, panicking.

“I put them...on the...ledge,” Elisa said weakly. It was hard to speak, her teeth were chattering so hard she was worried she would chip a tooth.

Goliath and Tsering looked towards the expansion and found the eggs, just out of reach of the icy water.

“We need to get the eggs out of here!” Goliath ordered as he carried her with one arm and climbed up the ladder and out of the rookery.

Tenzin had already carried Pema up and out and had whisked her away to be attended to.

Elisa slumped against Goliath. She was shivering, and he noticed her face was ashen and her lips were blue. He had to get her warmed up and fast.

He looked for Angela, but she was busy with the egg rescue effort. A chain had formed as eggs were passed from inside the rookery and out into safety. Everyone was occupied saving the eggs, but he needed to save Elisa.

He had to get her dry and warmed up, and he quickly carried her to her room.

“Elisa,” he said gently.

Her eyes opened briefly as she looked at him in response to him saying her name. Her eyes barely focused on him, and then she closed them again.

“Elisa, no, listen to me,” he said as he stroked her cheek lightly with a talon. “You need to stay awake,”

“Mmmm,” Elisa said in protest, but she opened her eyes.

“I have to get you out of your clothes, you’re wet and hypothermic,” he said urgently.

Elisa was shivering violently, but she nodded once.

He worked quickly, methodically, ignoring the fact that he was disrobing the woman he was in love with, and as soon as he had her clothes off he bundled her up in a wool blanket. He rubbed her limbs over the blanket as he attempted to get her blood going as best he could, then he built a fire in the small fire pit.

Her lips were still blue-tinged, but her cheeks were starting to flush with color again. He held her wrapped in the blanket next to the fire and rubbed her arms and legs, willing her to be warm, and after a while, she eventually stopped shivering.

“Goliath?” she said quietly, her voice tired.

“Yes?” he replied in a near whisper, relieved to hear her speak.

“Are the eggs ok?”

“Yes.” He actually wasn’t sure, but he knew they were doing all they could to save them, and she was in no state to worry about them.

“And Pema...is she ok?” Elisa said, finding it exhausting to talk right now, but she needed to know.

"I don't know. You did everything you could and more. You went above and beyond as you always do, my extraordinarily brave Elisa," Goliath said proudly. 

“Not...so brave,” Elisa said sleepily. "Or…I would…tell you."

"Tell me what?" he said as he stroked her still damp hair.

She didn’t respond, and he realized she had fallen asleep, but she felt warm again which meant she was likely out of the danger zone, and as much as he wanted to stay there with her, he knew Tenzin and his clan would need help.

He indulged in another stroke of her hair as he tucked a loose strand behind her ear, and then he laid her on her bed and tucked blankets securely around her. Elisa mumbled incoherently.

He was just about to quietly slip out of the room when he heard her speak.

“Tell you…that I love you...” she mumbled sleepily.

Goliath paused, going absolutely still. He turned back.

“What did you say?” he said quietly.

There was no answer.

He stared at her for a long time, his heart racing, but she had only been talking in her sleep.

“I love you, too,” he admitted, and then he left.

* * *

Elisa woke up a few hours later. She ached from head to toe, but nowhere else near as badly as her arms which felt like lead weights had been tied to them.

She sat up slowly and realized she had been undressed. She vaguely recalled Goliath carrying her to her room, and she blushed from head to toe at the thought that he had taken her clothes off. She looked for clothing, and found they had been laid out to dry by the fire, but they were still wet, so she slipped into a soft cotton robe Pema had loaned to her.

Sunset was a few hours away still, so she slipped out of her room and padded lightly down the hall toward Pema’s quarters. She heard voices nearby and recognized the rumbling voice of Goliath amongst them. She followed the voices to Pema’s room.

Goliath and Tsering were talking softly outside her door. Pema was resting, tucked into her bed. Tenzin by her side. 

"Elisa! You are awake!" Tsering said joyfully.

Goliath had his back to her, and he quickly turned around at Tsering's announcement.

"You should be resting," he chastised gently.

Elisa slowly approached them. She was stiff and tired.

“How is she?” Elisa asked.

“She’s alive, but she hasn’t regained consciousness,” Tsering explained.

“You should really go back to bed and rest,” Goliath urged.

"The sun is going to come up soon, and I’m the only one who can watch Pema then. It's ok. I'm fine," she lied.

"You are not fine, Elisa, but I also know I have no way to stop you," Goliath said reproachfully, but there was a great deal of affection in his voice as well.

Elisa looked at Tenzin who was holding Pema's hand in his own.

"I will stay with her Tenzin," she said gently.

Tenzin looked up at her as if he had just noticed then that she had entered the room.

“Oh, Elisa…” he said. “Are you sure? You have already done so much–”

She nodded.

“It’s fine. I want to be here for her when she wakes up,” Elisa said, refusing to acknowledge the alternative.

“At least...she won’t be alone if…” Tenzin stopped himself from speaking his greatest fear aloud, and a tear trickled down his face.

“She won't be alone, either way, Tenzin," Elisa said as she placed her hand on his shoulder.

Another tear trickled down his face, and he nodded slightly once.

He got up slowly, and then he stood outside Pema’s door, along with Goliath and Tsering.

Dawn came, and Elisa began her long, lonely vigil.

* * *

She sat by Pema for hours, and she thought of everything she had taught her about love and life.

She had spent hours saving her and a bunch of gargoyle babies from dying in a cold, dark, flooded cavern.

And yet she was afraid to love the guy who was arguably the love of her life.

It really didn't make sense.

She sighed, and rested her arms and chin on her knees.

But what about Tsering? Was she doing him a disservice if she came between him and the possibility of a life with one of his own kind?

Didn't they both deserve that?

But Pema and Tenzin didn't seem concerned about that. They loved each other freely despite all of the challenges of an interspecies relationship and their increasing age difference.

She sighed with frustration.

Her thoughts were all jumbled.

Pema stirred and groaned. 

Elisa sat up straight.

"Nngh…Tenzin?" she said quietly, her voice rough.

"He's asleep, but I'm here, Pema," Elisa said and took her hand. 

"Elisa?" she said. "Oh, my head."

"You were hit by a falling rock in the rookery. Do you remember?" 

"I don't…wait...there was an earthquake...the eggs!" 

Pema tried to sit up, but Elisa gently pressed her back down. 

"The eggs are fine," she said reassuringly.

"Oh thank goodness," Pema sighed gratefully.

"You saved them when you threw yourself between them and the falling rocks."

"They’re our children...I couldn’t let...anything happen to them,” Pema said quietly.

Elisa held her hand and kept her company until evening came.

Tenzin was overjoyed, and he fawned and worried over Pema.

Goliath did the same to her, and Elisa feigned annoyance, but truly she was delighted to have his attention. He forced her back to her bedroom and brought her food and even helped her to eat when her arms hurt too much to lift them up to her mouth to feed herself. He stayed with her, speaking with her about nothing important as she drifted off to sleep. 


	8. Recovery

It took several days for both Pema and Elisa to recover.

Elisa’s whole body ached, especially her arms which were sore for days after the strain she had put on herself holding the egg above the water. Goliath always brought her meals and stayed with her for those first few nights, but she soon grew bored of convalescing and she would visit with Pema. She occasionally got disoriented due to her head injury, but she was recovering well. After a few days, they started taking walks together during the day and talked.

Pema decided it was her job to tell Elisa all about gargoyle mating on one of those walks. Elisa listened to her attentively, and was actually grateful to have a knowledgeable woman to talk to about such matters.

One night, she went to check on Pema, but Tenzin was there with her.

“My love, it’s been a week. I’m fine,” she heard Pema say as she approached her room

“Pema...you’re still recovering,” Tenzin replied.

“I miss you,” Pema said plaintively.

The door was slightly ajar and she saw as Pema caressed Tenzin’s head, her fingers trailing through his feathers.

“Oh, my love. I can never refuse you,” Tenzin growled in response, and he kissed her.

Elisa slowly backpedaled down the hall so she wasn’t noticed...and backed right into Goliath.

“Oh!” she said startled.

“I just came to look for–”

“Shh!” Elisa hissed and urged him to back up.

“Wha–?” Goliath said in protest.

“Pema and Tenzin,” Elisa said quietly and shooed him away with her hands.

“Oh,” Goliath replied, his brows raised, and he quickly followed her.

“Good for them,” he said wryly as they walked towards the dining hall together.

“Pema has been talking nonstop about Tenzin the last few days; they desperately needed some time alone together,” Elisa replied.

“I know the feeling,” Goliath said quietly.

Elisa grew acutely aware of Goliath walking next to her. His hand brushed against hers, his fingers lightly caressed her own.

She didn’t pull away.

Instead, she slipped her hand into his and kept walking.

He glanced surreptitiously at her and entwined his fingers through hers.

It was a start.

* * *

The next day, Elisa found Pema sewing.

“What are you working on?” she asked as she admired the beautiful silk cloth.

“A gift,” she said smiling. “For the woman who saved me and our children.”

“For me?” Elisa said surprised.

Pema nodded.

“It’s the least we can do,” she said. “Since you’re here, let me take some measurements.”

Elisa protested briefly, but Pema told her if she didn’t do it willingly, she’d sneak into her room during the day and measure her in her sleep.

Elisa laughed at the thought and shrugged out of her jacket, Pema’s blood had been painstakingly washed out of it by someone, though she wasn’t sure who.

Pema took her measurements and then resumed her hand sewing as they talked. Elisa told her about her family, about how much she missed them, and Pema spoke of her parents and siblings who had been dead for many years, but she still missed them very much.

* * *

A few nights later, they decided it was time to leave. Goliath had finished relaying his clan’s history to Tenzin and repairs to the rookery and monastery were well underway. There was nothing else to keep them there.

Angela was champing at the bit to leave. She was bored of Shambahla, and Elisa suspected something had happened that she didn’t want to talk about.

When they announced their intention to depart. Tenzin and Pema insisted they throw a celebration in their honor.

The next day, Pema presented Elisa with the dress she had been sewing over the days she had laid in bed resting.

"Pema...it's beautiful!" Elisa said holding it up in front of her.

Pema helped show her how to tie it properly, and then fixed her hair up with a decorative comb she loaned her.

"There…if you don't turn Goliath’s head, I will eat my own shoe!" Pema declared, and Elisa laughed brightly.

* * *

Elisa had tried to help with preparations but she was shooed away by everyone, so she found herself standing next to the river and watched it rush past instead. It was hard to believe they had spent nearly two weeks there.

She had grown very fond of the place, and especially fond of Pema and Tenzin. It was going to be really hard to leave them tomorrow.

“It’s a beautiful view,” Goliath said behind her, startling her.

Elisa turned and found him standing a few yards away. She looked back over the water, the full bright moon cast light upon everything around them, reflecting off the river, and illuminating the snow on the mountains around them. It was quiet and tranquil.

“Yes, it is,” she said wistfully.

But when she turned back, Goliath’s eyes were on her and not the picturesque scene around them. He gazed at her with a look on his face that she was becoming all too familiar with.

Goliath was stunned by her momentarily as she stood there at the water’s edge, dressed in a beautiful silk dress, and bathed in the moonlight. Her hair was pinned up revealing her long graceful neck. The dress accentuated the soft feminine swell of her breasts and hips. Features she didn’t draw attention to very often as she preferred to dress casually, which was fine considering she often needed to be dressed for function and not fashion. She worked hard, and it suited her, but seeing her like this...she was a sight to behold, and she took his breath away. 

She didn’t have wings.

She didn’t have a tail.

But she was stunningly beautiful.

His heart pounded in his chest. He ached to take her in his arms, to tell her how he felt, to run his hands freely through her hair.

To freely _touch_ her.

Taste her.

Make love to her.

He briefly imagined what it would be like to undress her. To untie the fastenings of her dress and pull the silk away from her body.

She smiled at him as if she could read his thoughts, and her smile lit up her face, and he felt his heart crack open at the sight of her smiling at him like that.

Jalapeña...

He approached her slowly and stood next to her.

“It’s so peaceful here,” she said softly.

“Yes. It’s almost like a paradise. Hardly any strife or conflict,” Goliath mused.

“It’s almost too calm. We haven’t fought a single monster, mad scientist, fairy, or member of The Pack the entire time we’ve been here!” Elisa joked. “I keep looking for things to jump out of the shadows...something! Anything! It can’t be this tranquil, can it?”

Goliath chuckled softly.

“Perhaps we were merely sent here so we could give valuable information to the Shambahla clan, and so that you were here to save Pema and the eggs.”

“Maybe,” Elisa replied and shrugged. “I miss home, though. It’s lovely here, and New York is often loud and dirty and violent...but it’s home.”

“We’ll get home soon. I know we will."

A breeze picked up and blew a few loose strands of hair out of Elisa's carefully pinned up hair. Goliath reached out to tuck them behind her ear. His talons lightly brushed her cheek as he did.

She looked up at him, her eyes soft and reflecting the moonlight, and the casual brush of her cheek turned into a more deliberate one.

“You look beautiful tonight, Elisa,” he said softly.

Her cheeks darkened slightly, and her eyes glanced away. She didn’t take compliments well.

“That’s kind of you to say,” she said timidly. “Compared to Tsering and some of the other females here, I look pretty average at best.”

“No...not at all. Not to me,” Goliath said firmly.

Elisa’s cheeks darkened even further, and she looked back at him. They stared intensely at each other for a heartbeat before Elisa spoke.

“We should probably join the others. They’ll be waiting on us,” she said.

Goliath nodded, and she decided then to find the courage Pema had told her to.

“Will you meet me here...after dinner? We can go for a walk around the lake...and talk,” she said as she put her hand on his arm.

A smile tugged at the corners of Goliath’s mouth that he fought to contain.

“Yes. Of course,” he said eagerly.

Elisa smiled at him and turned to walk up the path, as she did, she let her fingers run down his forearm and caught his hand for a brief moment, their fingertips brushed along each other before they broke away. Goliath couldn’t help the smile that spread across his face, his heart felt lighter than ever before, and he followed her up the path and inside.

It was loud inside the dining hall with everyone gathered together. Hatchlings ran about while adults talked.

Elisa stepped into the hall and was greeted by cheers and clapping. Goliath put his hand on the small of her back.

“I think I can speak for everyone when I say that without you, we would have lost an entire generation. I speak with gratitude for our children...and for my mate," Tenzin said loudly.

Elisa blushed furiously.

“You should be proud of yourself, Elisa,” Goliath whispered to her. “I know I am.”

“I am only grateful I could be here to help,” Elisa said graciously in reply to Tenzin’s words.

“Tonight we honor you, let us eat and drink. We have much to celebrate.”

After the meal a few of the more musically inclined gargoyles picked up instruments, flutes and drums and began to play. 

Goliath danced with her, trying to follow the steps of the dance the Shambahla clan were doing, and more often than not they tripped over themselves and each other, but laughed merrily as they did.

It was fun. They had danced before last Halloween, and it surprised Elisa how light he was on his feet.

They never really did anything fun together. They were more often in constant peril, and this was a much needed reprieve.

She liked to hear him laugh. She liked it even more when she was the cause. When she put that smile on his face.

She wished they were alone. She wanted to kiss him. She wanted to feel him take her in his arms, feel his hands on her body, his mouth on her skin. She flushed at the thought and tripped, stumbling. 

But he caught her, the way he always did.

"Are you alright?" Goliath asked her.

She nodded.

"I need some air," Elisa said. It was rather stifling inside, but she wondered if that was just her who was hot and bothered.

"Would you like to go for that walk?" he asked her, trying to hide the eagerness in his voice.

Her heart raced.

It was time.

She needed to tell him.

"Meet me outside. I just need a moment to freshen up," she explained.

"Of course," Goliath said graciously, assuming she needed to use the facilities, but she really wanted to take a minute to brush her teeth.

She wasn’t sure how things would go tonight, but...she had hopes, and her heart pounded and her stomach filled with anxious butterflies at the thought.

As she left, she cast a glance his way and smiled. 

Goliath left the opposite way towards the river. He stood outside, waiting with anticipation, thinking of Elisa.

He would tell her tonight.

He had to.

He couldn’t keep it in any longer.

He had tried to tell her everything that was in his heart before, but she hadn't been ready to hear it then, but he felt she was ready to hear it this time.

He looked up at the moon and felt lighter than he had in years. He hadn’t felt this hopeful since before the massacre.

“It’s a beautiful night,” a feminine voice said from behind him, but it was not Elisa’s.

He turned and saw Tsering walking towards him.

“Yes, it is,” he said somewhat cautiously.

“I am sad that you will be leaving us tomorrow.”

“I am as well,” Goliath admitted. “It has been a joy to get to know you and your clan, but it is time for us to return to our quest. To return home."

Tsering stepped uncomfortably close, invading his personal space.

"Is there…anything I could say to convince you to stay?" she said, lowering her voice, and then she slipped her tail around his.

“Or do?” she added as she ran her hands up his chest and up behind his neck and in his hair.

Goliath was so shocked by her forwardness that he didn’t react for a moment, and then one of her hands lightly dragged down his neck and back and towards his wing, and he snatched her hand before she could.

“Tsering...you take liberties that you should not,” he scolded her as he extracted his tail from hers.

Tsering looked like he had slapped her instead of gently rebuked her, and her pale face flushed with embarrassment.

“My heart belongs to another,” he explained gently.

“But...you are not mated. You told me...who?” she looked confused and then shocked as it dawned on her. “It’s Elisa. You’re in love with Elisa, aren’t you?”

Goliath hesitated, wary of revealing something so private, but he nodded.

"What is it about human women?" she huffed.

“Elisa has been by my side through unparalleled dangers. She’s the bravest, most loyal being I have ever known, and she has more than earned my love,” Goliath said, his tone chastising as he admitted aloud what had been in his heart for a long time.

"I’m sorry. I’m so embarrassed,” Tsering said covering her face with her hands.

“Don’t be, Tsering. I should have been more forthcoming to avoid something like this, but she and I are...it’s complicated.”

Tsering sighed.

“Love often is,” she agreed as she stepped back, and then she sighed heavily as though she were releasing a great weight with that breath. "Honestly, it’s a bit of a relief.”

“Oh?” Goliath said curiously.

“Don’t get me wrong, you are very attractive, but my heart was not in it,” she explained.

“Then why pursue me?” Goliath asked, perplexed.

“It’s...complicated,” Tsering said with an ironic laugh. “To my clan I am implicitly off-limits because of events in my past, because of choices I made. No one will have me, and the only one I want, the only one I love, I cannot have. I wanted to see if I could love another...if I could possibly find peace and move on with someone else, but...I’m in love with Rinchen. I always have, and I think I always will.”

“Rinchen? He’s one of the monks...oh, I see…” Goliath said understanding, remembering what Tenzin had told him about the monks. She was in love with someone who had vowed to spend his life in dedication to studying and protecting the knowledge their clan had spent hundreds of years gathering. Vowing to never take a mate to distract him from his work.

“We have loved each other since…as long as I can remember, but he had been selected to become a monk from the day we all hatched, and we cannot be together the way we desired.” 

"I am sorry, Tsering. That must be very painful."

She sighed and looked out over the river.

“I can’t do anything about it. I cannot change my feelings for Rinchen, and I cannot change the ways of my clan. I am stuck. Unable to forget the past and unable to move forward. I am sorry for putting you in such an awkward position, Goliath. I think I have become a bit desperate to find some way to get over Rinchen," she sighed and then looked pointedly at him. “You have none of the obstacles I face. If you love Elisa the way you claim to, and if she loves you, too, you should not waste time.”

“I was actually intending to tell her tonight,” Goliath confessed.

Tsering nodded.

“Good, then I shall leave you be.” 

She started to walk away, and then she recalled that Goliath was leaving tomorrow and remembered the implications of that, and she turned back around to warn him.

“Goliath–” she began.

“Yes?”

Tsering paused, having second thoughts. They should have this moment, this chance, even if it was fleeting. Even if they never had another chance. _Especially_ if they never had another chance.

“Nevermind. I wish you both immense happiness,” she said, and then she retreated into the night.

As Tsering walked away, Goliath began to wonder where Elisa was. She had not returned yet, and he began to worry that she had taken ill. He waited a few more minutes, and then he went in search of her.


	9. Union

The dorms were on the opposite side of the village from the dining hall, so it was a bit of a trudge to get there and back. 

Elisa walked down the path where she was supposed to meet Goliath, her stomach was doing nervous flip flops, but she felt hopeful and lighter than air. She was going to tell him.

She caught view of him from behind and she smiled, her heart pounding, and then she stopped in her tracks as her heart sunk like a lead balloon at what she saw.

Goliath was not alone.

He and Tsering were intimately entwined.

Elisa had been around gargoyle couples long enough now to know how they expressed affection, and this was unmistakably that.

Tears stung in her eyes, and she angrily turned and fled back up the path before she could be seen.

She wanted to scream and rage at them both; she felt humiliated and hurt.

What had been all of that earlier, Goliath calling her beautiful?

And what about what Pema told her?

He must have just been paying her a compliment, and somehow she had leapt to the conclusion that he was going to tell her he loved her. God, she was an idiot. What had she been thinking? Of course he would leap at the chance to be with his own kind.

Especially one as beautiful as Tsering.

But she couldn't stop the way she felt about him, and her heart felt like it had been shattered into a million pieces and the shards were digging into her chest.

She felt her carefully maintained control slipping. She wasn't someone who cried easily, but she felt the tears welling up in her eyes. She was struggling to keep her composure, and she ran to the dormitory and into her room, slamming the door behind her just as she lost it, and she let out a shuddering sob before the tears fell in earnest. For a few moments she cried brokenly, angrily, bitterly before she managed to regain her composure and force it all down.

She angrily wiped at her face. She was a grown, rational woman, not some teenager pining over a stolen boyfriend. This was how it is. If Goliath decided to be with another gargoyle, that was his choice. Tsering was beautiful and kind. She would be good to him, and Elisa knew he would be incredibly good to her. They could grow old together...have children together. It was the way it should be.

But, god, it hurt.

There was a soft knock at her door, and she whirled toward the offending sound. The last thing she wanted was for someone to intrude upon her well earned pity party.

She opened it to find the last person she wanted to see on the other side.

“What do you need, Goliath,” she said, startled and angry to see him.

“Elisa...” Goliath began to speak, but he was momentarily distracted by her tear stained face. “Are you alright?” he asked, concerned.

“I’m fine,” Elisa snapped. “What is it?”

Goliath recoiled at her anger which seemed to be directed towards him for some reason.

“I came to check on you. I thought we were going to go for a walk around the lake...to talk, but you never showed.”

“I’m fine,” she repeated. “I'm just tired.”

Goliath eyed her with concern. She wasn’t acting like herself, and she did not give into tears easily, but he thought perhaps she was just sad to be leaving Shambahla.

“I will leave you to rest then, if that is what you need,” Goliath said congenially, but he still looked concerned. He’d never seen her look more miserable before. "But I'm worried about you, Elisa."

"I told you I'm fine," Elisa said annoyed. Goliath eyed her pensively. He wished she would just tell him what was bothering her, he wasn't a mind reader, but against his better judgment he turned to leave.

But then she called out to him.

“Is Tsering going to come with us when we leave?” Elisa asked, forcing a conversation she didn’t want to have but needed to.

“No. Why would you think she was coming with us?” Goliath replied as he turned back to face her.

“Because you're not planning to stay here…right?"

Her heart sunk at the thought. He couldn’t possibly, could he?

"Of course I'm not. Why would I?" Goliath replied perplexed.

"Because...I've seen the way you two are together. You and Tsering,” Elisa said dejectedly.

“Elisa...there is nothing going on between me and Tsering. You are mistaken.”

“I’m not. I know what I saw."

Goliath furrowed his brow.

“What did you...oh. You saw that.”

He closed his eyes briefly and covered his face with his palm.

What a mess, he thought.

“I saw you talking with her, down by the river. You were...very cozy.”

“Elisa...I can explain–” Goliath began, but Elisa barrelled on, finding courage she didn’t think she had to speak what was burning in her heart.

“I know I shouldn't be so selfish, especially if you have the chance to be with one of your own kind...but the thought of you with someone else…it hurts too much."

Goliath blinked, and then his whole countenance shifted from defensive to something far softer.

“Oh, Elisa...” he said simply. “You're right about what you saw, Tsering was attempting to court me, but did you not see the part where I turned her down?”

“I left quickly because I couldn't stand to see you with someone else," Elisa said as she realized what Goliath was saying.

He nodded and took a step towards her.

“I told her I could not love her because my heart already belongs to another.”

“You did?” Elisa said, and she felt the pain in her chest lighten.

“So…you don’t love Tsering?” she said quietly, hopefully.

Goliath shook his head as he looked down at her, his face was full of gentle rebuke, and he took a step forward so that she was forced to look up at him. He took her face in both his hands, his fingers threading through her hair. “No. Of course not, Elisa…how could you possibly think I could ever fall in love with someone else when you know I am completely and hopelessly in love with you?”

Elisa stared up at him, her eyes welling with fresh tears.

He’d said it.

He'd actually said it.

“But...you and I…it would be impossible,” she said as tears slid down her face, and he brushed them away with his thumbs.

“Nothing is impossible, Elisa, but if I had to choose between a life of only friendship with you and a romantic relationship with anyone else in the world, I would choose you, without hesitation.”

Elisa’s eyes softened and more tears fell.

“I don’t want that,” she replied in a quiet but firm tone. “That’s all we’ve had for the past two years, and it’s killing me.”

“What do you want then, Elisa?” Goliath asked with reserved hopefulness.

“You. I want you,” she said, and she slipped her arms around his neck and stood on her toes to press her mouth to his.

Goliath was shocked by the embrace at first, and he pulled back for a brief moment and peered into her eyes. Then he groaned and wrapped her up in his arms and pressed his mouth to hers, throwing himself hungrily into the kiss. Elisa buried her hands in his hair, her fingers raked against his scalp and she pressed her body to his. A low growl rumbled in his chest, and he took a few steps forward pressing them both further into the privacy of her room.

“Shut the door,” Elisa said breathlessly, breaking the kiss momentarily.

Goliath obeyed her and closed the door with his tail, shutting them both into her temporary quarters and away from the rest of the world.

He kissed her jaw, her neck, reveling in the taste and feel of her skin against his lips. He was desperate for more, but he dared not go farther than she was ready for.

But Elisa had other ideas. Her hands went to the sash at her waist, and she began to untie it, but Goliath put his hands over hers and stopped her.

At first, Elisa thought he was going to tell her they shouldn’t. That it wasn’t a good idea, and her heart fell, but then he untied it for her. He looked at her as he did, his eyes never leaving hers. Then he slipped his hands under the collar of her dress, his hands gliding over her neck and shoulders as he pushed the dress off her arms, and it whispered over her skin before it fell to the floor in a delicate puddle of silk.

He gazed at her breathlessly for several heartbeats.

She wasn’t wearing anything underneath, and she stood before him naked and vulnerable.

“I didn’t expect…” Elisa said haltingly, nervously. “But I hoped–”

He silenced her with a kiss that was awkward but sweet as he put his arms around her.

His hands moved down the smooth, strong muscles of her back, caressing her spine and the flair of her hips and down over her toned backside and back up. He pulled the ornament out of her hair that held it up, and watched her hair spill like a cascade of water around her shoulders and down her back. He looked at her as he dragged his talons through some of the thick strands of her hair, and he shuddered almost imperceptibly. Then he gathered more of her hair up in his hands the way he'd always longed to and fantasized about. He trailed his hand through her hair down to the ends, the backs of his fingers lightly grazed the tip of her breast as he did, and she inhaled sharply.

He cupped her breast exploring the way she felt, her nipple hardened beneath his palm, and her lips parted and she sighed.

He pulled her in closer, his other arm went around her waist as he drew her near. He pressed his mouth to her neck and felt her rapid pulse under his lips. He worked his way down, dropping to his knees so that they were at a more even height as he kissed the long scar over her breastbone. Then he replaced the hand upon her breast with his mouth, flicking his tongue over her hardened nipple. Elisa gasped and gripped his hair tightly as he lavished attention on the one before he moved to the other as he held her, one hand in her hair, the other kneading her posterior.

Her knees buckled and he caught her and laid her down gently on the soft bedding.

He hovered over her, resting his weight on one arm.

He had no idea what human women liked.

He knew Elisa was an experienced woman, she’d had lovers in the past, and he was actually quite relieved that she had. She could tell him what she wanted, what she liked.

“Tell me how to please you,” he said softly as he pressed kisses to her neck and shoulder.

Elisa let her legs fall open wide for him.

“Touch me,” she begged, her tone a little nervous.

“Show me how,” Goliath growled, his voice thick.

Elisa put her hand over his and slid it between her legs.

“Here,” she sighed as she showed him how she liked to be touched.

“Like this?” Goliath asked.

She bit her lip and nodded and then gasped as his touch sent shivers up and down her body. Goliath’s eyes grew wide with pleasure as he watched her reaction to his touch. He was very much relieved by the fact that it seemed human females liked a lot of the same things gargoyle females did. He caressed her again and she made that same wonderful sound. She melted into him. Sighing and moaning in his arms the way he had always dreamed she would as he touched her. His face was close to hers, his mouth just a few inches away from hers, and he could feel the puffs of her breath against his lips as she panted with pleasure as he drew small circles with his finger.

It didn’t take long before she was grasping at him desperately, her hips surged against his hand.

“I need you,” she moaned, and her hands went to the belt at his waist.

"Elisa, are you sure about this?" Goliath said, suddenly feeling apprehensive.

"More than anything," she said and she began to work the clasp of his belt and unthread the thick leather strap.

“Elisa, I’m not human–” he protested.

“It’s ok, I’m not worried. Pema warned me that gargoyles are a little different from humans,” Elisa said reassuringly.

“I’m grateful for her foresight, but what I mean is, if we do this...there’s no going back to what we were before. Not for me,” he said quietly.

Elisa paused and looked up at him.

“Good,” she said. “I don’t want to go back. I love you, Goliath.”

Goliath sighed at her words, and he kissed her before he helped her to get his loincloth off. He waited for some sign of regret or apprehension, but she took him in her hands and guided him to her.

Elisa's breathing quickened with nervous excitement. Her heart pounded so loudly he could hear it. 

He ached for her.

Stars, he wanted her.

She grasped eagerly at him, trying to pull him down to her, her legs wrapped around his hips, her feet pressed against his tail.

He buried his face in her neck and kissed the delicate skin there. He inhaled the scent of her hair and skin as he slowly began to press forward into the warm depths of her body as he felt her flesh yield to him. She grasped urgently at him as her body embraced him eagerly, but she gasped loudly as though pained as he slipped inside her, and his talons dug into the floor.

"Are you alright?" he whispered.

"It’s ok...it’s ok,” she said, her eyes wide.

“Do you want me to stop?”

“Don’t you dare!” she growled.

He carefully moved out and back in again.

“Please, oh god, you feel so good," she moaned.

He continued the torturously careful pace, but he was rewarded by her moans of pleasure that grew louder and louder, and he kissed her to silence her. The walls here were thin, and he did not want to announce what they were doing to the whole clan.

Her mouth warred with his, her tongue darting into his unfamiliarly but in a way that mimicked the way their bodies were moving together further below, and it drove him absolutely mad. He desperately wanted her to touch his wings, but he would save that for another night when he didn’t feel like he was barely clinging onto his self control.

It had been so long.

His eyes flared white, and he turned his face away and closed his eyes, worried that his natural but unfamiliar response to arousal would alarm her, but Elisa put her hands on his face and forced him to look at her.

Elisa couldn’t make out the details of his eyes, the nearly black irises with their almost metallic sheen and flecks of deep violet that she had become so accustomed to looking at, but she knew he could still see her, and she wanted him to know she wasn’t afraid of him or their differences.

His brow was furrowed in concentration and the rising tension in his body. She touched his face lightly. Her lips parted as she clung fiercely to him, her eyes wide and wild. She felt like she was going to break apart.

She cried out loudly, and then she pressed her face against his shoulder and bit him to keep from screaming as she climaxed.

That aggressive and rather gargoyle-like move pushed him over the edge. He snarled and shuddered spasmodically against her as he came, and his talons dug furrows into the floor.

They didn’t move afterwards.

They clung to each other fiercely as they came down from the high of their unexpected union. Goliath was stunned at what had happened, and absolutely thrilled, but then he became aware of his surroundings again and noticed Elisa was making quiet, shuddering little breaths beneath him.

“Are you ok? Did I hurt you?” Goliath said, alarmed.

“No...no...I’m good. Really good,” she said with a light laugh as she ran her hands up and down his chest as though she was trying to remind herself he was really there. “Just...catching my breath. I kind of got a little light headed there at the end.”

“You’re not regretting–”

“No, of course not,” Elisa said firmly.

Goliath pressed his face into the crook of her neck and sighed with relief.

“I just...” she began as she stroked his hair. “I can’t believe I waited so long for this! It seems ridiculous now.”

“You had reasons. Good ones,” Goliath said gently.

Elisa shifted a little uncomfortably, and he rolled over onto his side and covered them with a wing.

She curled into him, her head against his chest. He kissed her temple and toyed with her hair.

“I apologize for the, uh, awkward performance,” Goliath said as he ran a lock of her hair through his fingers.

“What awkward performance? What are you talking about?” Elisa laughed incredulously.

“I have no practice with kissing,” he said.

“You were fine,” Elisa said. “And it’s not that important once things really get going.”

"I certainly did not think the night would wind up like this," he said lightly.

"I had every intention of seducing you, until well…" Elisa's mouth pressed into a thin line.

"I should have rebuffed Tsering sooner. I never thought she would be quite so...forward."

"You underestimate your appeal," Elisa smiled at him.

"Apparently," he said with a sigh. “And I thought the females in Ishimura were aggressive. They are subtle compared to Tsering.”

“What?” Elisa said with surprised humor.

“Uh...well–” Goliath started to explain.

There was a frantic knock at the door.

“Elisa!” came Angela’s voice.

They both went absolutely still and looked at each other as they both tried to decide what to do.

Elisa pressed her eyes closed together momentarily, and then she spoke, raising her voice so Angela could hear her.

“Angela? What is it?” she called out, trying to sound casual.

“I’m looking for Goliath. Have you seen him? I can’t find him anywhere!”

Goliath sighed with annoyance.

“What's going on?” Elisa asked.

“There’s a fight!” she said panicked. “I think they might kill each other!”

Goliath reluctantly let Elisa out of his arms as she got up and slipped back into a robe and opened the door ajar slightly, just enough so she could peer out but Angela could not see in while Goliath got his loincloth back on.

“Who’s fighting?” Elisa asked.

Goliath fumbled with his belt in his haste to get his loincloth back on, and there was a loud  _ clink _ of metal and a rustle of cloth as he nearly dropped it.

Angela keyed in towards the sound, then she looked back at Elisa and took in her swollen lips, her disheveled hair, the flush to her face and skin, the bite marks on her neck…

Her eyes grew wide with realization, but even wider still as Goliath put a hand on the door and opened it wider to peer out at her from inside Elisa’s room. Elisa was trying really hard to look everywhere else but at her.

Angela's face lit up like a Christmas tree.

“Ah ha!!” she exclaimed. “Finally!”

“Angela, you said something about a fight?” Goliath said mildly put out.

“Oh! Right! It’s Rinchen and Norbu! They’re fighting in the Monastery."

“Let’s go find out why they’re at each other’s throats and stop it then,” Goliath said.

“I’ll get dressed and join you,” Elisa said.

Goliath sighed reluctantly. He was far from being done with her yet and wanted nothing more than to carry her back into her room and lock the door behind them.

But he had to help first.

He briefly nuzzled her brow, then he left with Angela and Bronx.


	10. Broken Vows

Tsering thought about rejoining the party, but she was too heartbroken at the moment.

Not about Goliath. She knew there hadn’t been much hope there, but telling him about Rinchen had stirred up old feelings that had never healed.

She tried not to think of Rinchen over the years. She pushed memories of the only night they had shared together deep down, the ecstasy of it and then the agony of forced separation afterwards.

She wandered through the village and found herself at the monastery. She tried to meditate for a time, hoping to find solace, but she found none.

She decided to check on the rookery.

She knew gargoyles weren’t supposed to be possessive over their own egg, but she found she could not help it. Especially after what happened a week ago.

No one else knew, but she knew. She recognized the pattern of spots on the egg’s shell.

Hers and Rinchen’s egg.

No one had known who had sired her egg, she had kept that secret.

Many suspected it had been Tenzin.

Many had asked, but she would never give up Rinchen’s name.

She caressed the egg tenderly. It was the same one Elisa had personally held up out of the water to save. If she had known Goliath was in love with her, she never would have tried to court him away from her.

She had saved her egg, after all.

She had saved all of their children.

The rookery had been repaired and reinforced and some changes made so that it could not flood again, and the eggs had been tenderly returned to their place until they hatched in two years.

She had just come back up from the rookery and passed the archives when someone called to her.

“Tsering!”

She whirled towards the sound of Rinchen’s voice. Her heart pounded with excitement anytime he was near, and also trepidation.

“What do you want, Rinchen?” she said dejectedly.

“Tsering, please do not leave,” Rinchen said, anguished. “I am begging you.”

“Why would you think I am leaving?” Tsering said, confused.

“To be with Goliath,” Rinchen replied.

“I am not leaving, Rinchen,” Tsering said sadly. “This is my home as much as I wish to leave sometimes.”

She walked away from him.

“Then...you do not love him?”

“No,” Tsering replied wearily. “No. Though I tried. I have tried so hard to forget you.”

Rinchen took her hand and pulled her into one of the archive rooms.

“I have tried as well,” he said as he held her hands tightly. “And I have been miserable every day because of it.”

"I don't know what to do, Rin,” Tsering lamented, shortening his name affectionately. “I cannot move on. I have tried–" 

"Then let's leave together! We can go with Goliath and Elisa." 

"We can't! You know what would happen! We have lived here our whole lives, Rin!" 

"Then I will leave my position. I’ll leave the order and take whatever punishment Tenzin gives me. Nothing will be as painful as the hell I have been in without you."

“Why didn’t you leave before?” she hissed and she shoved him angrily. “I didn’t tell anyone it was you who fathered the egg, and I had to face the constant murmurs and disgrace alone!”

“I am so sorry, Tsering! I was a coward. Tenzin knew. He made me choose...and I’m so sorry. I should have chosen you...I love what I do, but I love you more. I can’t lose you, Tsering!”

“I can’t do this without you anymore, Rin,” Tsering said as she rested her forehead on his chest.

He put his arms around her and pulled her tightly to him.

“I will face Tenzin’s punishment for breaking my vows. I don’t care anymore what happens, I love you. I want to be with you.”

“I…I love you, too,” Tsering said, and she put her arms around him.

Rinchen sighed and wrapped his wings around her. He stroked her head, his talons dragging through her golden feathers, and she leaned into him as his hands moved lower, down her neck and back. He touched the struts of her wings and she purred passionately. Her hands went to his sash as his went to hers, quickly untying and opening their tunics.

He lifted her up against the bookcase as she cried out passionately for him.

“Rin...” Tsering sighed lovingly as she caressed his head. He found her tail with his.

“What is the meaning of this?!” a voice demanded.

They both turned toward the voice and found Norbu standing in the doorway, glaring angrily at them.

They scrambled to get their clothes back in place.

“Norbu, just stay out of this,” Rinchen growled.

“You have broken your vows!” Norbu said angrily.

“I broke them a long time ago!” Rinchen growled. "And this is none of your concern,  _ acolyte _ ," Rinchen snapped.

Norbu bristled.

He hated being spoken down to like that.

He hated being condescended to, and he growled, his eyes blazing white, and lunged angrily at the two of them.

* * *

Goliath ran with Angela to the monastery. As they got closer, he could hear the sounds of fighting, of low growls and punches landing hard.

Rinchen and Norbu were bloody and bruised, growling and snarling viciously as they landed blow upon blow on each other.

“Stop this!” Goliath yelled as he threw himself between them. He grabbed Rinchen by the shoulders and pulled him off of the other gargoyle. Norbu had been in the middle of a punch and was unable to pull back before his fist connected with the side of Goliath’s face. He had been tiring so the blow was not as strong as it could have been, but it still stunned Goliath for a moment.

He growled threateningly at Norbu, forcing the young male to retreat back. Goliath was a lot bigger and a lot stronger than he was. Rinchen returned to the fray, baring his fangs and ready to attack again, but Goliath grabbed him by his tunic and hauled him back roughly.

“What is the meaning of this?” he growled.

Norbu was gasping for breath as was Rinchen.

“Rinchen should be stripped of his position and banished from the clan!” Norbu growled.

The fight had started to draw attention and other gargoyles were filtering in.

“On what grounds?” Goliath said, working as a mediator.

“I found him fornicating with Tsering!" he spat.

"What is going on here?" Tenzin growled as he stormed through the crowd, Pema behind him.

Tsering was nursing what looked like a broken arm, and he looked at his second and then to the two males.

“Who has done this to Tsering?!” he snarled. “Who dares to attack our own?!”

“It was Norbu,” Tsering hissed. “He attacked me and Rinchen unprovoked.”

"Norbu, you have attacked a fellow monk and my second, what defense do you have for this outrageous behavior?"

Norbu wiped at his broken nose, smearing blood across his face.

Angela looked at him distastefully.

“I found Tsering and Rinchen mating in the archives,” he said, his tone disgusted.

There were murmurs through the crowd.

“So you attacked them? There is no call for violence over such a thing,” Tenzin snarled.

“Rinchen broke his vows!”

“I did, and I am not ashamed of it!” Rinchen growled back. “I love Tsering! She is my mate, and I will not be a coward anymore!”

There were several gasps and mutters.

“It is not your place to be judge and jury as an acolyte, Norbu,” Tenzin said coldly to the young gargoyle monk. “You should have come to me.”

Norbu looked away, and he wiped more blood from his nose.

“As for you, two,” Tenzin said glaring with disappointment at Rinchen and Tsering. “Go to the infirmary. I’ll have Dorma meet you there. I will deal with you later.”

Tenzin then turned to Norbu. His rage barely contained.

“And you...come with me,” he growled and marched off towards his study.

Norbu followed reluctantly, his wings drooping behind him.

Tsering and Rinchen hobbled off together in the opposite direction, his arm gently around her waist as she leaned into him.

“What vows did Rinchen break?” Angela asked Pema.

“His vows of celibacy,” she replied. “When acolytes reach the age of forty, they take their vows, never to take a mate, and elevate to full monk status.”

Angela was surprised. Monks were supposed to be celibate?

She and Norbu were thirty-eight. He hadn’t taken his final vows yet.

He hadn’t broken any vows when he had tried to coerce her into satisfying his needs.

But then why did she feel so dirty and used?

Elisa came jogging up at that point. She’d changed into her usual jeans and t-shirt, but she still had a rather rumpled look about her, and an unmistakable glow in her cheeks.

“What did I miss?” she said somewhat breathlessly.

Pema grinned at her.

“We have much to talk about later,” she said and winked at her. “I am going to help Dorma in the infirmary.”

Then she hustled off in the same direction as Tsering and Rinchen.

“Norbu caught Tsering and Rinchen mating and a fight broke out.” Goliath explained.

Elisa looked perplexed.

“Wait. Tsering and Rinchen? That girl gets around,” she snarked.

“Do not be hard on her. It’s complicated, and desperate people do desperate things,” Goliath explained gently.

“It’s like a god-damn soap opera around here,” Elisa muttered. “Hey, Angela, you ok?”

Angela jumped as if she had forgotten that anyone was around her. The rest of the clan had wandered off at this point, the drama over.

“Yeah. I’m alright…” she said, and then her chin quivered. “Actually...no. I’m not alright. Something happened with Norbu that I'm really ashamed about.”

Elisa and Goliath looked at each other, and Goliath’s face darkened.

"You can talk to us Angela, it’s ok. What happened?" Elisa pressed gently.

She tearfully told them what had happened on the mountain with Norbu.

Goliath remained silent the whole time, and when Angela finished he stormed off without saying a word.

“Is he mad at me?” Angela asked Elisa tearfully.

“No, in fact, I would hate to be Norbu right now,” Elisa said wryly. “You actually clocked him?”

Angela nodded.

Elisa hugged the young female reassuringly.

“Good job,” she said gently.

* * *

"I need to speak with you about Norbu," Goliath growled as he barged into Tenzin’s study.

Tenzin was slumped over his desk, his head in his hands.

"What has he done now?" Tenzin groaned as he lifted his head up. 

"He tried to take advantage of Angela."

"Tried to take advantage of her? How exactly? Is she OK? When did this happen?" he said alarmed.

“Over a week ago. Angela was raised by humans, and is naive in a lot of our ways. Norbu tried to take advantage of her naivety and use her to gratify himself.”

“And he called Rinchen out for breaking his vows,” Tenzin muttered “Tell me exactly what happened. I will take your word for it so that Angela does not have to retell the experience.”

Goliath explained what his daughter had told him about the hunting incident.

Tenzin growled. 

"A week ago, another female came to me and told me he had tried something similar with her a while back. It took her a while to work up the courage to tell me. I was going to make him take an additional five years as an acolyte as penance, and to never be in the monastery at the same time as the young female, but I think he should be stripped of his position entirely," Tenzin said. “His behavior is completely unacceptable.”

“In my clan, this would have been a banishable offense, at least temporarily,” Goliath growled.

“This is not your clan, Goliath,” Tenzin reminded him. “And I already have quite the conundrum on my hands.”

“Your second and Rinchen?”

Tenzin nodded.

Goliath sighed.

“Do you need a sympathetic ear or a word of advice?”

Tenzin huffed a short bitter laugh.

“I may need both.”

Goliath nodded and took a seat.

“I knew about the two of them...long ago. I knew Rinchen had sired an egg with Tsering, but I felt like a hypocrite telling them what they should not do, and the deed was done, and I saw how much they tried to make it right, how they tried to avoid each other despite how much they loved each other, and I thought that was penance enough.”

“Unfortunately, it has made them both act rather desperately.”

“I confronted Rinchen years ago, when I knew he had mated with Tsering. I gave him the choice of staying with the order or being with Tsering. He wanted both, but he could not have both, so he chose the order. I think it’s safe to say he has changed his mind.”

“Why can he not have both?”

“Centuries of tradition. It is just not the way things are done here.”

“The bond from mating...you know how strong it is, the fact that they have managed this long...it shows their character.”

Tenzin nodded.

“There is what my heart wants to do, what my heart feels is right, but my head does not want to break with tradition.” Tenzin lamented.

“It’s a tough choice. I understand that. My clan had to make a lot of changes when we woke up in Manhattan. Adjusting to new technology, a new culture...names,” he laughed softly. “Some changes were easier than others, but we had to make them to adapt.”

Tenzin sighed and looked at Goliath, and his face became sorrowful.

“I fear hurting my clan.”

“They’re already hurting, Tenzin. Just look at Tsering and Rinchen."

"I know…it is just…there are those in my clan who think strongly that I am not fit to lead due to my relationship with Pema, and because of Tsering. When Rinchen broke his vows with her during the breeding season, there were rumors that I had sired her egg because of our close relationship. I have largely ignored the rumors, fearing addressing them would only give them more credence and lead to more speculation, and if I handle this poorly, I could have a coup on my hands," Tenzin said as he glanced down at his desk. 

"I understand your plight, Tenzin, but doing the right thing is never easy, and you know what the right thing is here."

Tenzin nodded slightly and sighed.

"There’s another reason why monks are required to be celibate. Long ago, we feared outgrowing our valley and our limited resources, so we required the monks to be celibate. Three males and three females are chosen from every generation for this purpose.”

"If you are worried about your numbers, you can isolate yourselves during the last breeding cycle like the London clan does, like you require the monks to do, but forcing two gargoyles apart who love each other, who have already mated, it’s just cruel, Tenzin."

The Shambahla clan leader sighed.

"I know," he said.

Tenzin looked at him, his eyes regretful.

“Pema told me, by the way, about you and Elisa. I suppose congratulations are in order.”

Goliath purpled.

“Er, thank you. Word...gets around fast, it would seem," Goliath grumbled.

“Pema witnessed Tsering’s desperate attempt to seduce you earlier...and her failure. When she couldn’t find Elisa afterwards, she worried that she had seen the same thing and possibly misinterpreted it. She went to check on her, and well, you weren’t exactly being quiet,” Tenzin said with a grin. “She left immediately when she realized what was going on. She was quite excited to tell me.”

“I apologize for the indiscretion,” Goliath said embarrassed.

“No need to apologize...that is not the issue," Tenzin said dismissively.

“But there is an issue? That surprises me, all things considered…”

Tenzin looked remorsefully at him.

“Pema was really excited that you and Elisa had mated until I reminded her that you were leaving tomorrow.”

Goliath’s brow furrowed with confusion.

“Why would that affect my relationship with Elisa?”

“There is something we have not told you about Shambahla.”

“What is it?”

“There is a reason no one knows of this place, despite the number of people who have come here over the centuries. When you leave, the enchantment blocks all memories of this place. Everyone you have met here, everything that happened...you will forget as soon as you step foot out of this valley.”

“What?!” Goliath said horrified as the implications of Tenzin’s words set in.

“I am sorry. I truly wish there was something we could do. We do not want you to forget about us, but there is nothing to be done. We don’t even know how to remove the spell around the valley. The knowledge of it has been lost to us for centuries.”

“Stars…” Goliath lamented. “I will forget that Elisa is my mate.”

“If I had known you two would work so quickly,” he huffed and shook his head. “I should have warned you, but I also wanted to spare you the pain, and I think we have created more for you because we kept it from you.”

Goliath leaned forward, his elbows on his knees, his head buried in his hands, raking his talons through his hair.

“There has to be a way!” he said as he looked up at Tenzin.

“Trust me...everything has been tried.”

“I have to tell Elisa,” Goliath said, and he stood up to leave.

“I am very sorry, Goliath. I only hope this is a minor setback for you two, but I am sorry about it nonetheless.”

Goliath didn’t say another word, he left Tenzin in his office to worry about his own problems. He had his own.

He found Elisa talking quietly with Angela on a bench in the archives where he had left them earlier.

“Elisa, I need to speak with you,” 

"Okay," Elisa said, concerned by his urgency as he pulled her aside to talk. "Is this about Norbu? God, I’d like to wipe the floor with him–"

"No, Elisa, this has to do with us…"

"Us? Goliath, what is it?" Elisa said.

So, he told her.

“Hold on! No!” Elisa shouted. “We won’t remember anything of Shambahla? Or anyone? Nothing that happened here…at all?!”

She'd had her memory wiped before and she was not eager to relive the experience. 

"I don't even know what to do, Elisa, I don’t want to forget, I don’t want to lose you," Goliath bemoaned.

"Oh, god!" she cried out with despair, and Goliath put his arms around her.

"We have to do something! We have to figure out a way to break the spell! There's no way! We've worked too hard to get where we are now to just have it all ripped away!" Elisa shouted angrily, and then her anger turned into sorrow, and she burst into tears. "I finally have you, and now you're going to be taken from me?"

“Is everything ok?” Angela asked, concerned about Elisa’s outburst.

Goliath turned to his daughter and told her what Tenzin had told him.

She didn’t mind forgetting about Norbu, but she felt sorry for her father and Elisa, and she left them alone to talk about it and went to help Pema in whatever way she could. There was probably some clean up needed in the dining hall at the very least.

“I know we are supposed to leave tomorrow, but I want one more day, Elisa,” Goliath said as he pressed his brow to hers. “One more day to be with you, to love you, before...we go back to the way things were.”

Elisa pressed herself to him, holding him tightly.

She nodded, and held him like she was worried he would disappear right then if she didn’t.


	11. Farewells

After the first meal the next night, Goliath quite literally whisked Elisa away.

“Where are we going?” she asked as he scooped her up in his arms.

“Tenzin told me there are hot springs on the other side of the valley.

“Hot springs?” Elisa said. “And here I didn’t bring my bathing suit.”

“Pity, neither did I,” Goliath replied as he climbed the stairs to a platform designed specifically for launching off of to glide away. He was really going to miss living in a place where all of the furniture and architecture was designed to accommodate gargoyles.

He held Elisa in his arms the way he always had before, but it felt different now. He used to sustain himself with these brief, chaste moments when she was in his arms, but now she was his...for the time being, he thought sadly. Tomorrow, they will be friends again instead of lovers.

“Are you sure we won’t be bothered here?” Elisa asked, worrying a little about privacy once they had reached the hot springs.

“The clan frequents these pools during the winter and not much in the summer. I think we’ll be ok,” Goliath replied.

Elisa cautiously began to disrobe, and Goliath tried not to make it too obvious that he was watching her every move as he quickly removed his loincloth and tested out the water of the hot spring. Tenzin had been kind enough to explain which ones were too hot for this time of year, and he had managed to pick one that was pleasantly warm as he sunk into it. It was shallow enough that the water only came up to his chest. He offered a hand to Elisa who was busy pinning up her hair, and helped her in when she was ready.

“Oh god...why didn’t I know about this place a week ago?” she moaned as she sank into the hot water.

Goliath smiled affectionately at her.

He stretched his arms out along the natural edge of the pool and closed his eyes briefly as he relaxed into the soothing heat of the water.

He felt something brush against his thighs and opened his eyes as Elisa slid onto his lap.

“Hi,” she said as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

“Hi,” he replied with a soft smile as he put his hands on her hips and drew her in closer.

She leaned forward and kissed him, her breasts pressed against his chest, and he wrapped his arms around her as they embraced.

“A girl could get used to this,” she sighed as he kissed her neck.

“There are some things I hope I never get used to,” he said as he slipped his hand between her legs and caressed her. She gasped loudly.

“Like the look on your face when I touch you,” he growled in response.

Elisa made a needy little sound and kissed him hungrily. She moved her hips against his, wanting him, but he blocked her.

“I just want to watch you. I want to remember the look on your face as I pleasure you. Maybe I won’t forget what it’s like to hold you...touch you...taste you,” he said softly.

Elisa ran her fingers lightly over his brow and kissed him.

As he continued to touch her, she tipped her head back, and he watched her face, her needy sighs and moans, the shape her mouth made, the way her brows knit together. The flush in her cheeks.

His heart ached with every second that passed. He wished he could freeze time. Every moment that slipped away was a moment closer to losing her. He still had her, but he already missed her. In another day he wouldn’t even know how much he would miss her, and he would go back to not-so-secretly pining for her like before without knowing for one fleeting moment in time she had been his and he had been hers.

She cried out with release, her hands gripped his shoulders, her nails digging into the thick muscles of his back. His nostrils flared with a quick exhale of breath, and his eyes flashed at the sight and sound of her reaching completion.

She pressed her mouth to his and kissed him hungrily.

“Can I have you now?” she moaned against him, and she stroked the base of his wings.

In reply, Goliath shifted her hips and brought her down upon him.

She sighed as he released a groan, her cheek pressed against his. He rocked her hips back and forth against him, his hands on her backside, guiding her.

He let his head fall back and he closed his eyes briefly as he focused on the sensation of Elisa moving upon him. The ache and tension in his loins grew, building towards the moment of release. He looked back at her, she wasn’t as close as he was, so he slipped his tail between them and helped her. Her hands moved from his wings up into his hair, and she tightened her hands into fists, gripping tightly, almost painfully, but at this point it only added to the pleasure. He looked into her eyes and she looked back. He felt the first twinge as he approached the edge. Elisa’s movements became more urgent and desperate, her moans turning into cries. He thrust into her once more, twice, and came into her with a ferocious roar of release. Elisa’s own cries of completion mingled with his own providing a higher counterpoint to his bass roar.

She rested her head on his chest afterwards. Her hair had come loose and he dragged his talons through it absentmindedly.

“I feel like I’m losing you,” Elisa said, her voice mournful

“Maybe temporarily...but you are my mate, the other half of my heart, I have faith we will be together again,” he said comforting her.

Elisa held him tighter and he clung to her just as fiercely. Despite his words, there was no comfort in the unknown ahead of them.

* * *

When they eventually returned to the village, there was no sign of anyone. They looked at each other with uncertainty, wondering where everyone had gone off to. As they got closer, they heard Tenzin’s voice speaking loudly from the dining hall. They moved towards it and heard other voices shouting. As they entered the building, they saw the entire clan gathered with Tenzin at the front addressing them. The air was thick with tension.

“But it is not done! You would break from centuries of tradition?!” someone shouted.

“Some traditions need to end if we are to move forward,” Tenzin said calmly in response.

“But we will outgrow the valley in just a few generations!” a gargoyle Goliath knew as Kunga said. “We already had to consider extending the rookery because of an unexpected egg last season!”

There were a few murmurs and pointed looks in Tsering and Rinchen’s direction. They were standing closely together, off to the side of the group, the backs of their hands touching, but that was as close as they got.

Goliath and Elisa found Angela standing in the back with Bronx by her side. Goliath had commanded him before to not leave her unguarded, and he hadn’t; he was a very loyal beast. She looked disgruntled and she glared disapprovingly at no one in particular with her arms folded across her chest.

“What’s going on?” Goliath asked her.

Angela glanced over at them, she smiled briefly before her face slid back into a scowl.

“They’re discussing Tsering and Rinchen. Tenzin wants to allow monks to be able to continue their work, but abolish the celibacy requirement. He also wants to implement a voluntary system of isolation during the final season.”

“So he did take my advice, then,” Goliath said astonished.

“I guess so, but it doesn’t seem everyone is keen on the idea.”

“We should take lessons from other clans. We have all this knowledge from them, and yet we do not heed any of it,” Tenzin said. “There are other clans who use these methods to control their populations. It works, and it does not force anyone to have to choose between two things they love. An occasional extra egg every now and then is not going to adversely affect our population that much.”

Rinchen took Tsering’s hand in his, and she leaned into him.

There were a few murmurs of agreement with that statement.

“What will change next? Will Lobsang be allowed to mate with his yaks because he happens to ‘fall in love’ with one of them?” Kunga continued. Someone shouted out in protest, likely Lobsang himself.

Kunga appeared to be the ringleader of the dissenting voice. There were several who muttered in agreement with him, but to Goliath it sounded like most did not.

“That is a poor argument, Kunga,” Tenzin scolded. “Just because one thing changes, it does not mean it will result in a spiral of deplorable behavior. It sounds more to me like you are projecting.”

There were a few laughs and Kunga’s face went redder than it already was naturally, but he did not offer a rebuttal.

“We will take it to a vote,” Tenzin continued. “Those in favor of abolishing the practice of forced celibacy for monks in exchange for implementing a system of separation during the final season, raise your hand.”

There was some hesitation and then slowly, about two thirds of the crowd raised their hands. 

“All opposed?” Tenzin said.

Everyone who hadn’t raised their hands before did so now.

“The vote is two to one in favor of,” Tenzin said. “Monks will no longer be forced to remain celibate, unless they choose to.”

There were a few cheers but no greater than Tsering and Rinchen who clung happily to each other in a fierce embrace.

Shortly after the hubbub of the evening had resolved, with some celebrating and some arguing a little over the outcome, Norbu approached Angela and pulled her aside.

Bronx growled at him and that caught Goliath and Elisa’s attention.

Goliath took a step forward, his eyes blazing white, but Elisa put a hand on him and stopped him.

“Give Angela a chance. She needs this,” she said. “We’ll step in if she needs us to.”

“I know you are leaving, but...perhaps you would consider staying?” he said, taking her hand.

Angela noticed he no longer wore the robes of a monk. She had heard that he had been removed from his position, and she was glad of it.

She vehemently pulled her hand away. 

“Perhaps you should consider remaining celibate, Norbu. Your clan would be better off if you didn’t breed,” Angela spat.

“Hey!” Norbu said indignantly.

“Asshole,” she growled, stealing one of Elisa’s favorite words, and then she turned and walked away with her chin up.

A few other gargoyles nearby who had overheard the conversation, sniggered at Norbu who slunk off embarrassed in the opposite direction.

Elisa bumped Goliath with her hip.

“See?”

Goliath put his arm around her gratefully.

* * *

When dawn came, Elisa leaned against Goliath’s stone form. It had been a long night, but she was sad to see it end.

"You three sure have shaken up the place since you got here," Pema said warmly to her.

"We tend to do that," Elisa said with a light laugh, and then she yawned.

"You should get some rest. You look…worn out," Pema said with a knowing smile.

Elisa laughed.

"I am a bit, she said.

They both walked back to the dormitory together.

"Elisa, might I borrow your dress for the day? I realized I forgot to finish some of the embroidery on it."

"Are you sure? It looked fine to me, and we’re leaving tonight," Elisa protested. 

"I am a bit of a perfectionist. It is your  _ wedding dress _ after all,” she teased. “Please, allow me to correct my error or it will bother me. I will have it done before you go."

Elisa retrieved the dress and handed it to Pema. She took it graciously from her, then they said goodnight, and Elisa fell upon her bed. She was tired and she thought sleep would come quickly, but she lay there thinking about Goliath and what the next night would bring.

She eventually cried herself to sleep.

* * *

The next night, they attempted to slip away with little fanfare. Goodbyes were hard, and they’d already said them the night before.

Angela waited down by the skiff with Bronx as Goliath and Elisa walked together down to the lake, but before they reached the shore and Angela’s line of sight, Elisa stopped walking. Goliath was holding her hand, and he paused and looked back at her when he felt the pull on his arm. 

"I love you," Elisa said. "I just…wanted to tell you that one last time."

Goliath took both her hands in his.

“It won't be the last time. We may be losing the memories of this place, but our feelings for each other will still be there. Those aren’t going to change.”

Elisa wrapped her arms around him.

“We’ll find our way to each other again,” Goliath said as she clung to him. “I know we will.”

Elisa wrapped her arms around his neck as he leaned down and kissed her. A few tears spilled from her eyes, and when their lips parted, Goliath tenderly wiped her tears away.

Then he led her down to the shore and was about to help her into the skiff when Tenzin, Pema, Rinchen, and Tsering emerged from the footpath and walked towards them.

“We wanted to see you off,” Tenzin said. “You will be greatly missed here in Shambahla.”

“We will miss you as well,” Goliath said as he held out his arm to Tenzin.

Tenzin grasped it in the way of Goliath’s people and shook it.

“Except...you won’t,” he said sadly.

Elisa felt a hitch in her throat and barely kept the tears at bay.

Pema stepped forward and handed Elisa a neat bundle.

“I finished it just in time. I couldn’t let you leave without it,” she smiled sadly. “Perhaps you will get to wear it again on another special occasion.”

Elisa took the silk bundle that had been neatly folded and tied with a silk ribbon.

“Oh, Pema…” Elisa said, her voice breaking, and she clutched the dress to her chest. Then she pulled Pema in for a tight hug, and they both held onto each other as the tears fell freely on both their faces.

“If you all had not come to Shambahla, we would have lost our entire rookery, and probably Pema, too, and...Rinchen and I would likely have never been brave enough to challenge the ways of our people,” Tsering said. “I thank you, from the bottom of my heart for the happiness I have, and mourn as you lose your own.”

She and Rinchen bowed deeply to them, their palms pressed together.

“Shambahla thanks you for all you have done,” Tenzin added as he and Pema also bowed to them. “And though you will forget us, we won’t forget you.”

Goliath took Elisa’s hand in his and held it so fiercely it hurt a little, but she didn’t want him to let go. She wanted him to hold on as long as possible. Maybe then her heart wouldn't break apart like it threatened to.

They bowed back to Tenzin and the others, then they reluctantly climbed into the skiff.

As Goliath pushed them away from the shore with the quant pole, Elisa waved mournfully to the four who waved back to them.

Then Goliath began to recite the incantation that would transport them to Avalon.

“Vocate venti fortunate…ex ricae Oberonis, et hic navis frugum regate…”

He paused, and his voice broke before he finished.

“Ad orae...Avalonis.”

Two things happened at once.

The mists of Avalon surrounded them, obscuring their view of everything around them except for the dense fog, and then they all stumbled as if they had been struck.

Elisa nearly pitched overboard before Goliath reached out and caught her.

“What the hell was that?” Elisa asked.

“I have no idea,” Goliath said, then he looked at Elisa and was startled by the look on her face.

“Elisa...you’ve been crying. Are you alright?”

“What?” Elisa said surprised. She touched her cheek with one hand and looked at her moistened finger tips.

“I don’t know. That’s really weird. I feel fine,” she said and wiped her eyes on her sleeve.

“Angela? Are you alright?” Goliath asked his daughter.

“Yeah...just confused. What happened?” she replied.

"Last thing I remember, we were fighting Coldstone..." Elisa said.

“Yes...you’re right,” Goliath said pensively. “I don’t remember anything after that…”

“Neither do I,” Angela confirmed.

“Does anyone know where we are?” Elisa asked as she moved to the front of the skiff.

The others shook their heads.

Goliath watched Elisa and felt a familiar strong tug at his heart. Their journey together had made his feelings for her stronger than ever before, but as he looked at her...his instincts practically screamed at him.

_ She is yours. _

He firmly reminded himself that was not true.

She was not his.

She never could be.

But that insistent pull wouldn’t go away.

It was as if his body and his mind were at war with each other. One said one thing and the other said another, and he wasn’t sure which to listen to.

It left him very confused.

And very weary.

Elisa felt Goliath looking at her and turned to see the most despondent look she had ever seen upon his face.

“Goliath?” she said his name, breaking him out of his thoughts.

“Hmm?” he intoned.

“Are you alright?” she asked gently.

Goliath looked at her, searched her for any sign of his suspicions upon her features, but there was nothing there.

“Yes...I am alright,” he lied.

She turned back to look ahead of them, and he reluctantly began to push them through the water once more, and as he did, the mist parted and Avalon’s beacons and shoreline came into view.

Elisa sighed.

“Back in Avalon.”

“I’m beginning to think this Manhattan we search for is a myth,” Angela said petulantly after Goliath pulled the skiff onto shore and they all disembarked.

“At least we have safe haven for a time,” he rumbled in response.

They heard Boudicca bark from the path leading down to the shore, and she, Ophelia, Gabriel, Tom, and Princess Katharine came into view.

They took rest and refuge there one last time, and even defeated a faerie king before they finally found their way home.


	12. Epilogue

“My what?” Elisa said with disbelief at Brooklyn’s words.

“It says, ‘You wore this dress on your wedding night, and I hope you get to wear it again someday.’”

“I did what now?” Elisa spluttered, her voice higher than normal.

"It's quite clever actually. Any written material about Shambahla cannot leave the valley, it disappears, but this is technically embroidery, so it fooled the spell, I think."

"Brooklyn…what you're saying doesn't make any sense to me."

“I'm just telling you what it says, Elisa,” Brooklyn explained.

“If it’s my wedding dress, then who the hell did I marry?!” she said alarmed.

“Well...you were there with Goliath,” Brooklyn pointed out. “and the word wedding here is written with an exaggerated flare...like it’s not the literal meaning, which would make sense considering Shambahla is home to a clan of gargoyles, so there wouldn’t have been an actual wedding just the, er, well...you know…the consummation," Brooklyn hedged and glanced at Nashville who was still young and mostly ignorant about the ways of adults.

“Gargoyles?” Elisa and Broadway said with surprise at the same time. 

“I visited them once. Long ago. Right before they put up the spell that affects your memory. In fact, I was there when they did it, or at least, I was there right before they did. I tried to convince them not to, but they went ahead with it anyway,” Brooklyn explained.

Elisa blinked at him.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about…” she said.

“That’s because of the memory spell.”

Brooklyn looked at her and the dress.

“You did say this was your dress, right?”

“It fits me like a glove, ” Elisa said dazed.

“Then perhaps, you and Goliath–” Brooklyn began to say.

“What’s going on?” Goliath asked as he walked into the room and observed the looks on everyone’s faces.

Elisa jumped, startled by the sound of his voice.

She looked at her mate and searched his eyes for any kind of recognition as he looked at the dress she held in her hands.

But there was none, and she was struck with a swell of anger that he couldn’t remember.

That she couldn’t remember.

She and Goliath had been together before.

In Shambahla.

What Brooklyn told her rang true to her.

She thought of their first time together.

Or what she thought had been their first time together.

He had known her so well. He had touched her like he knew exactly what he was doing.

Because they’d been together like that before, and he knew instinctively what she liked.

But neither of them could remember!

“Elisa?” Goliath asked concerned by the horror stricken look on her face.

“I’ve gotta go,” she said abruptly and dashed out. 

Goliath looked to the others for explanation, but none of them were forthcoming, so he followed her.

“Elisa, wait,” he called after her.

“I’m going to be late for work, Goliath,” Elisa warned him.

Goliath caught her hand and gently turned her to face him.

“Elisa...what’s wrong?”

“It’s...nothing. Everything’s fine,” she lied.

He looked at her like he clearly didn’t believe her.

“I haven’t seen you in days. I feel like you’re avoiding me,” he said.

“I’ve just...had a lot to deal with,” she said dismissively.

“I know you have, and I realize that I have only added to your list of problems,” Goliath said apologetically.

She wasn’t sure what to say, what to tell him exactly. Everything was so fucked up at the moment.

“Goliath...we really need to talk,” Elisa said seriously. “Tomorrow’s my night off. I’ll see you at home?"

Goliath nodded.

“Ok. Tomorrow then,” she said decisively, and as Goliath watched her walk away, his anxiety spiked. Something was going on with his mate, and he wasn’t sure what it was, but ever since she had come home from Arizona, and he had told her about what happened to Cagney, about Queen Mab, she had been distant.

She blamed the shorter nights, but he knew something was very wrong between them, and he dreaded the conversation they would have tomorrow.

He feared it would not be an easy conversation.

Not at all.


End file.
